Joe Hart insists he’s too busy loving life at Celtic to bother with the finer details of an unbeaten domestic run which could hit the thirty mark at Dundee United tonight.
The former England No 1 doesn’t do statistics and could care less about a record which stretches back to September last year - for him it’s all about the present and the immediate task in hand.
As the Hoops head to Tannadice this evening for a Scottish Cup quarter-final clash, the 34-year-old remained matter of fact about a winning sequence which maintains treble ambitions even if he’s not prepared to look beyond the next 90 minutes.
Hart said: ‘We play to win every game. The run is big and it’s great but we are literally one game at a time so I didn’t think about that at that time and I’m not thinking about it at this time. We see the games in front of us as winnable but they are only winnable if we apply ourselves and we don’t take our foot even slightly off the gas. Those sorts of things are the things you maybe look at when all is said and done but right now we are in the thick of it so Monday night is just as important.”
Hart’s seamless transition from back-up keeper at Tottenham to a key and consistent presence between the sticks for Celtic is testament to his polarised focus and professionalism and he admits his time in Glasgow is all about being part of a group which is bonding for success
He said: “I’ve always been the kind of guy who plays for my team, the team which employs me and I throw everything that I’ve got into that team.
“Respectfully, before I came here I didn’t know much about Celtic just as I didn’t know much about Wolverhampton Wanderers or much about anyone that I wasn’t necessarily involved with.
“In terms of expectation, I didn’t have any, but once I arrived I’ve loved being a part of the environment, the feeling which comes with being a part of Celtic Football Club and being part of the group of supporters home and away.
“Social media wise you become part of that as well. As a group, it’s something I’m enjoying getting to know and being a part of as well.
“Being part of something here which wants and expects victories in everything that we do, cup games are as important as every game. It’s as simple as that, every game is as important as each other.
“We are looking to improve and build as a group and Monday is no different.”
Celtic’s elimination from the Europa Conference League to Bodo Glimt last month may not have been the ideal scenario for Ange Postecoglou ’s side but it has inadvertently eased the playing demands for the Premiership leaders but Hart doesn’t buy into a belief that a European exit has fringe benefits.
He said: “They are just facts aren’t they? If we were still in it we’d be doing our best to stay in it. The fact that we’re not means it’s gone and there’s nothing we can do about it. All we can do is focus on the league and the cup.
“I agree that there is a difference physically, but the fact is you are either still in it or you’re not.
“If we were in it we wouldn’t be thinking about saving our legs for any other competition.”
Hart was restricted to Europa League and FA Cup outings at Spurs last season but he insists his preparations have always been the same regardless of being number one or on the outside looking in.
He said: “I’ve never changed my mindset ever. Whether I was first choice, second choice, third choice … there’s not a choice. I’ve always had the same mentality and the same application when it comes to playing or not playing.
“I feel exactly the same and I’ll always prepare exactly the same. I don’t expect to feel any different and I don’t expect anyone to feel like that.
“That’s how I’m built, that’s how I’m wired up and that’s how I get the best out of myself. Even when, for instance, I wasn’t playing last year and wasn’t seen as the first choice, I still saw myself as a key member of the squad.
“Just exactly as I would if I was playing. I don’t think you can afford to think like anything else.”
Hart may not want to be drawn on unbeaten runs but he does admit that winning games is the glue which can bond together a squad intent on bringing trophies to his club.
He said: “When it comes to growing the biggest bond is the assessment on how you look at things and what we are working towards. With Ange as the manager we have clear guidelines that we are trying to work towards and there is a philosophy that we are buying into now. Even daily we are still learning things which we are trying to get better at so the winning is great but us trying to grow as a group is more important. I feel that most importantly we know each other on the pitch.
“Whether relationships blossom off the pitch is down to human decisions but there’s a respect and a lot of loyalty to each other on the pitch and that’s the most important thing at the moment.”
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