Joe Hart doesn’t just love Ange Postecoglou ’s message. He lives by it.
The Celtic manager regularly states: “Why not not make the game you are about to play in your best game you have ever played in? Simple? Yes. Inspirational and motivational? Most definitely.
And with the most-settled pre-season in years under his belt to augment that sort of positivity around the club and the manager, it’s little wonder Hart is relishing the big kick-off. He may be 35 and a senior statesman of the Parkhead dressing room but that doesn’t mean the Celtic keeper can’t still get excited or stop learning. The former England No.1 was reborn under the Aussie during a brilliant first season in Glasgow that secured him two winner’s medals, a heap of cherished memories and a fresh wave of enthusiasm. But Hart’s not one for looking back. He says he’ll only do that when he hangs up his gloves.
Instead it’s about the next challenge, the next test, the next opportunity to do something special and make more magic. Hart’s been around too long to make bold statements. He’s been through enough in his career to know football can kick back hard and drop any individual back down from high heights in a cruel instant.
But the keeper can aim for more. And he is.
Hart can’t say if there’s more to come from Celtic this season after the heroics of last term but he can certainly do his damnedest to try to make it happen. Citing the Postecoglou message, Hart said: “That option is definitely there but it’s down to us – to me, us as individuals, us as a team. “The manager constantly references it, saying, ‘Why not make the game you are about to play in your best game you have ever played in?’ I love that message and I live by that message so there’s definitely that opportunity. But how it will play out, we’ll see.”
One thing is for sure, Hart is set up as well as he’s been for years to shimmer from the outset. Since being ousted from Manchester City by Pep Guardiola, summers have been uncertain. Planning has been impossible without precise knowledge of where he’d be wanted.
But this time it’s been very different. Hart has built from his break knowing exactly what and where he’d be returning to once the holidays were done. Asked if this was as comfortable as he’d felt going into a season for a long time, he said: “Yeah, definitely. Simple as that, as far back as it doesn’t spring out to me.
“Even when I was set at Manchester City I was still coming off the back of Euros, World Cups, this and that, coming in with a couple of weeks to prepare. So in terms of knowing where I was going to be, what was required of me and having time to prepare for it, I don’t really look back too much. I’ll look back when I’m done. But right now I feel good.”
Hart is intent on adding to his skill sets. He freely admits to learning a whole new style of goalkeeping during term one under his manager and the adjustments and tweaks are a constant. For example, his high starting position on the pitch when Celtic have possession as he said: “That’s always where the manager wants his goalie. I know that, we know that. That’s how he sees football.
“But he also understands you have to play with the players you’ve got. I couldn’t just come in and play as high as that as I’d never done it before, so I had to learn and I’m still learning. That’s why I absolutely love being here and playing under the manager. It’s becoming less uncomfortable to be that high. Before, to be that high, I always thought, ‘Danger, danger’.
“But now I understand the reasons why I’m there. I’m not there for any reason to help the team to progress and move forward. I understand the reasons better, so I feel more comfortable.” Naturally, with crucial time working for Postecoglou in the bank, all players from last term should be better placed now with a full pre-season, which was denied to many last term, surely also to be beneficial.
Hart said: “Time will tell. In theory it does. Speaking as a new player from last year, I’ve really enjoyed knowing where I was at the start of the season, being part of our pre-season, going in to do what we’re going to do.
“It’s not an easy system to walk into and it’s going to be easier when the majority of us are a year in and understand what is required. The newer players will see every day what we are doing. Last year we were learning on the spot a little bit.”
Hart and his colleagues, of course, took that education on board quickly and spectacularly and the results were evident. Now the boss has built an even more rounded unit with summer signings.
Postecoglou is adamant he needs a big group of players for the rigours of domestic and European competition and Hart insists the Hoops manager has proven he will utilise it skilfully.
He said: “There’s no truer word spoken than, we are a squad.
“It doesn’t matter whether I’m playing, Benj, Bainy, Toby, goalkeeper wise, I know each one of us could walk into that team and I feel that’s the feeling you need if you’re going to be successful. We are all pulling in the same direction.
“It’s a big squad and it’s a big ask to get a squad to pull in the same direction and we all know good results help, but that’s why he is where he is as a manager.”
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