Joe Hart came into Celtic last season and was exactly what the Hoops needed as they began life under Ange Postecoglou.
The Englishman made an instant connection with the squad, his exploits from Manchester City and England meant Joe garnered instant respect from the bhoys in the dressing room.
As Callum McGregor set off on his first season as Celtic captain, having Joe as a number two and someone else who could command the dressing room was a god send.
On the pitch, Hart put in some high level performances and made some incredible saves that helped the Hoops on their way to an unlikely title.
The 35-year-old is now back on the training pitch and ready to go again for the bhoys in green. He shows no signs of slowing down and wants to make it another campaign to remember.
Talking with Celtic TV on his return to Paradise, Joe gives fans an insight in how he needs to readjust after a pre-season break.
“For a goalkeeper, it’s about getting your body ready to go and getting used to hitting the floor.
“It’s amazing how your hands have five weeks of not being punished and you need to build them back up and re-programme the brain to get yourself in a frame of mind to get in front of the ball.
“Believe it or not, that’s not a natural thing for a human, but we drill it into us as goalkeepers. However, that slight percentage goes away during the summer, so it’s all about programming that back into your head.
“Pre-season is different for us. I’m a fit guy, but I’m purpose-built to be a goalkeeper, so if you put me out running then you wouldn’t see me again.
“We need a different sharpness, so the days of everyone running into the woods and running are gone.”
Speaking about the manager and how he approaches the game, Joe delivered some great insight in how the team dissect games, win lose or draw after the fact.
“The manager has his way that he wants us to play.
“Last year, like a lot of us, he was brand new, but we bought into it very quickly and the trust grew throughout the season.
“We know exactly where we stand, he knows us and we know him, so, hopefully, that will put us in a good place.
“I don’t think we can get away from the fact that the only way we had success last year was because we were united and worked so hard – and the manager made that point every single time.
“The analysis was always about how hard we worked and how we didn’t give the opposition the chance to breathe.
“I’m super aware of not coming away from that and that comes with age as I know I don’t have as long as I once had in this game, so I’m going to try and get every little thing I can from it.
“That comes from working hard, good team spirit and mentality, but we’re going to try and have a good time while doing it.”
Joe has bought into Celtic and Ange’s philosophy in a huge way. After losing his way when he left Man City, the goalkeeper has a real purpose and enthusiasm about the game.
