Joe Hart, born in Shrewsbury, England, on 19 April 1987 (age 39), was a commanding 6ft 5in (1.95m) goalkeeper whose career was built first at Shrewsbury Town and then shaped properly at Manchester City.
Those early years mattered. Hart was not simply polished into a top-level goalkeeper by reputation or promise; his development included loan football, the sort that gives young keepers awkward afternoons, angry defenders and little room to hide. By the time he became established at Manchester City, he had already had the rough edges knocked off him.
City was the main stretch of his career, and the club where he made his name as an England international-level goalkeeper. There were later moves and spells elsewhere, including Tottenham Hotspur, before Celtic brought him north in August 2021.
Hartโs Celtic spell was short by career standards, but it carried real substance. He arrived from Tottenham with plenty behind him and still enough ahead of him to matter. Over three seasons he brought calm, presence and an obvious seriousness to the position, wearing the number 15 shirt and becoming part of a side that won two Premiership titles, two Scottish Cups and two League Cups.
He left Celtic in June 2024, having given the club exactly what had been needed: an experienced goalkeeper who settled quickly, contributed to trophies and did not treat the move as a soft landing. It was a tidy final chapter to a long career, and a better Celtic one than many had any right to expect.
📈 Key stats and insights
