Trevor Sinclair worried Joe Hart’s career was fizzling out.
Then Celtic gave his old Manchester City pal the spark to succeed again.
Hart has been one of the star signings of Ange Postecoglou’s Parkhead revolution.
The club have a serious shot of securing the Treble and can take a giant leap towards that clean sweep in Sunday’s Scottish Cup Old Firm showdown.
It has been terrific viewing for Celtic supporter Sinclair who 12 months ago feared for Hart’s top-level future.
The keeper had played only 13 matches – all in cup competitions – for Burnley then Tottenham in two seasons.
And Sinclair suspected, after 75 England caps on top of five major trophies while on the books at City, Hart’s hunger might be on the wane.
He’s delighted, then, that wasn’t the case. Hart took a pay cut to move from Spurs to Scotland and is bagging the rewards that matter to a proper top-class pro – winners’ medals.
Ex-West Ham and Three Lions winger Sinclair said: “What you’ve done before is great. But you’ve got to go and prove yourself again.
“And I wasn’t sure that Joe had that fight. It looked like he was struggling a little bit.
“He’s a wealthy boy. And sometimes when you have the wealth Joe’s got, you can lack that hunger to want to prove yourself again – every season, every game, every week, every month.
“Whether it’s training, games, different clubs, that’s what it’s all about.
“I wasn’t sure if, because he was so comfortable, that he might just fade away.
“He’s proved to me the personality that I thought he had is still there, shown his true colours with Celtic and come back flying.”
Sinclair, a top radio pundit with talkSPORT, was thrilled to watch the Hoops dismantle Rangers at Parkhead in February.
A lifelong Celtic fan, it was his first chance to savour the Old Firm action from inside the ground.
Hart sorted tickets for Sinclair and a pal to savour a storming 3-0 win that prompted a huge momentum swing in the Premiership title tussle.
He had seen former team-mates Georgios Samaras, John Hartson and Joe Ledley sign for Celtic over the years.
Sinclair wishes he could have followed them but a transfer never materialised. Sure enough, when he heard Hart was in line for a Parkhead deal, he felt the move was meant to be.
Celtic required an experienced international keeper after Vasilis Barkas, Scott Bain and Conor Hazard shared the duties in a debacle
of a campaign. And Hart, whose last Premier League appearance came on Boxing Day in 2018 as part of a Clarets side thumped 5-1 by Everton, needed the boost of being a big club No.1 again.
Sinclair said: “It was the perfect fit. I’m really pleased for Joe and I’ve said that to him.
“I think when you’ve had a dip in form, had people criticise you and ask different questions of your character and personality, this was the ideal move.
“He’s not looked out of place. He’s at a huge club and even for someone who’s had the career Joe has had, he’s had big gloves to fill at Celtic.
“But he’s filled them very well. I was disappointed that Fraser Forster left a couple of years ago.
“I always thought he was a good fit and did really well for the club.
“I’m glad Joe went to the right side of Glasgow because I’ve had a few mates go the other way.
“With Aaron Ramsey, I had to get on to Joe Ledley to say, ‘Have a word with him, what’s he doing?’.
“There was Joey Barton and a couple of others too, especially Joey because I think he’s a Celtic fan.
“I was pleased Joe made the right move and he’s doing a fantastic job.”
Sinclair first spotted Hart’s class when the keeper arrived at City 16 years ago from Shrewsbury Town.
The winger, then in his final season in Manchester, was in the starting XI in October 2006 as Hart kept a clean sheet on his English top-flight debut against Sheffield United at
the age of 19.
Hart, preparing to turn 35 next week, was also capable of bailing Sinclair out of bother away from the field of play.
Sinclair said: “As a young man, he was fantastic. We had David James at first team, Kasper Schmeichel – who was my boot boy – and we had Joe.
“That’s not a bad trio there. Joe was very hard-working, very professional.
“He wasn’t as chirpy back in the day, he wouldn’t really say too much.
“But you could see he had personality when we went on nights out socialising and team bonding.
“He’s a big boy as well so he’s got me out of a couple of sticky situations!
“Listen, that pathway from Shrewsbury to Manchester City as a young man, you don’t do that at 19 if you’re not a special character and talent.
“He’s proved he is that. One of the most pleasing things is he’s had his difficult spell – and we all have them in life or a career – and bounced back really well to show what he’s made of.
“Joe’s got massive character on the pitch. He’s got all that experience and he’s leaning on it to produce his best again for Celtic. Both Celtic and Manchester City are huge clubs.
“I played with Joe when he was a young man at City, watched him progress and become England’s No.1.
“Now I’ve watched him play for my club, Celtic, and I’m dead proud of his achievements.”
