Joe Hart and the Celtic right he's earned but doesn't lean on amid Parkhead reinvention

Joe Hart will be 37 when his current Celtic contract runs out which, in this day and age, is still relatively young for a keeper.

Since being snared by Parkhead gaffer Ange Postecoglou, the former England stopper has reignited his career. But he has also reinvented himself in Glasgow. Discarded by Manchester City in 2018, there was consensus that Hart wasn’t good enough to play out from the back in Pep Guardiola’s preferred style.

But if you’ve watched Celtic recently, you’ll know that he’s now pivotal to how Postecoglou wants the game to be played. Hart has been more like a sweeper in the first few games of the new campaign. At times he almost lines up in a back three beside two centre-backs when the Hoops are on the attack. His manager is delighted with Hart’s contribution. Postecoglou doesn’t expect him to pass the ball as well as Callum McGregor or Jota.

But he’s convinced if Hart continues to play the way he has done since signing last summer, he can perform for many more years yet – which might mean an extended stay at Celtic. Ahead of today’s Premiership trip to Kilmarnock, Postecoglou said: “I wouldn’t have signed Joe if I didn’t think he could play the role I want.

“Ultimately, his number one job is to keep the ball out of the net. Beyond that, we want to be a team that plays out from the back. I don’t want my goalkeeper to be the playmaker. But if we are doing our job correctly, setting up in the right way, the passes that he has to make should be the simplest ones any keeper has to make.

“It’s more about embracing the role and the attitude the individual has, more than the skill set. There isn’t a goalkeeper on the planet who can’t pass the ball five yards. The funny thing is, most of them are asked to