22 February 2024 , 13:45
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Former England and Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart has announced he will retire from professional football at the end of the season.
The 36-year-old, who is currently at Celtic, informed the club on Thursday that he will be hanging up his boots when his contract expires in the summer. Explaining his decision, Hart said: "As of June, I'm going to stop playing professional football. This is something that I've thought about for a while.
"There's no right or wrong time but the way this club works that I'm playing at at the moment there's so much on it. There's so much heart and soul poured into what we're doing as a football club, with the grand scheme of the club, the support base and the conversations that go on around it.
"There's obviously a conversation around the goalkeeping position for next season so I just thought it was important with the blessing of the club. I've had conversations with the club, with Brendan (Rodgers), with Stevie Woods. That if we get the message out it leaves one less thing that people need to speculate over."
Hart joined Celtic after leaving Tottenham in 2021 and he has since cemented himself as their No.1, making 138 appearances across almost three years to date. He has won two league titles in Glasgow, as well as the Scottish Cup and two Scottish League Cups.
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Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers said: "Joe has enjoyed a phenomenal career and I know will be huge miss to the game when he finally retires from playing football in the summer.
"For all he has done in football, Joe deserves huge praise and congratulations, he has been such a brilliant asset to Celtic of course and the wider game at the highest levels, domestically and internationally.
Joe Hart has made 690 club appearances in his senior career to date (Getty Images)"But more than that, he is a tremendous man, just brilliant to work with, someone who I know has been a great team-mate to so many throughout his career and a player who never gives anything but his absolute best. Each and every day his work ethic is an example to all in football.
"While he will be a real loss on the pitch, I know he will stay in football in some form. It will always be part of his life and I am sure whatever he does after the summer time, everyone at the club wishes him nothing but the very best of success. I totally understand and respect Joe’s reasons for making this announcement and for being clear to the club and our fans on his future.
"I also know he will continue to work right through this season with the same intensity, commitment and drive which he has always been known for."
(Getty Images)Starting his career at Shrewsbury, Hart moved to City in 2006 and established himself as their first-choice goalkeeper after loan spells at Tranmere, Blackpool and Birmingham. He helped City to their first-ever Premier League title in 2011/12, with Hart winning the Golden Glove that season.
In fact, Hart kept the most clean sheets in four out of five Premier League campaigns leading up to the end of 2014/15. The 6"5 goalkeeper won another top-flight, as well as the FA Cup and the League Cup twice before he fell out of favour following Pep Guardiola's appointment as City boss in 2016.
Hart would go on to spend Guardiola's first season out at Torino, where he featured in all-but two Serie A matches that campaign. Having then been loaned out to West Ham, Hart left City after 348 appearances to join Burnley on a permanent deal in 2018.
He spent two years at Turf Moor before moving to Tottenham under Jose Mourinho. Hart was second-choice behind Hugo Lloris in north London as he played just 10 matches during his one season at the club.
As for his international career, Hart was capped 75 times by England, keeping 43 clean sheets in the process. His final appearance for his national team came in 2017 as Gareth Southgate left him out for the 2018 World Cup.
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