Joe Hart claims he is retiring to “take the pressure away” from Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers
Joe Hart has revealed that ‘taking the heat off’ Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers was a major reason in his decision to retire.
The 37-year-old is ending his playing career after 705 club appearances, 75 England caps, and 12 major trophies, including two Premier League crowns with Manchester City.
Hart had a late-career renaissance after joining Celtic in 2021, appearing 153 times for the Hoops in all competitions and winning seven major titles.
The former Three Lions custodian leaves on a high note after winning the Premiership and Scottish Cup double, but any desire to remain on and enjoy more success was tempered by a desire to make the best decision for Rodgers and Celtic.
“There is nowhere else on the planet that I’d want to play football,” Hart told Premier Sports (via BBC Sport) after Celtic’s thrilling 1-0 cup final victory over Rangers on Saturday, which was clinched by Adam Idah’s 90th-minute goal.
“I feel extremely privileged to walk out with a big smile on my face. It wasn’t always like this, therefore I’m going to celebrate my victory and run.
“I thought retirement was the proper thing to do. I wanted to relieve the management of some of the strain and do my best for the club, because success and happiness are important.
“I’m just lucky I’ve been able to piggy-back on it.”
Rodgers hails ‘great leader’ Hart
Although the time has come to recruit a younger custodian to take over at Parkhead, Hart’s experience will be difficult to replace.
Following Saturday’s cup success, Rodgers hailed Hart’s impact on the Celtic dressing room, conceding he will difficult to replace the veteran custodian this summer.
“He’s been an amazing leader in the changing room and he’s taken that onto the pitch,” Rodgers remarked.
“He’s the type of personality that is irreplaceable.”
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