Blown away Celtic pundits react as Hart tells Schmeichel what he thinks to his face and Sutton spots a Rodgers fib
A heartwarming moment between Joe Hart and Kasper Schmeichel has got Celtic fans loving it as the goalies' union came together after the Hoops downed Young Boys.
Schmeichel has picked up where Hart left off after his retirement in the summer, assuming the No.1 jersey and carving out a hero's legacy of his own. He didn't have his busiest game in the 1-0 win that sealed qualification for the Champions League knockout stages, but was required for some big moments, a crucial double-save denying Darian Males before a superb stop from virtually the last kick of the ball made sure of the points.
Hart has transitioned into punditry since retiring and he was on media duties for TNT Sport at Parkhead. And he shared a moment with Schmeichel after the game on their TV coverage. He was tasked with interviewing Schmeichel and told him: "From a fan, and a friend, you're playing absolutely brilliantly at the moment. It's a joy to watch." And the blushing Dane responded: "I've had big footsteps to follow, literally!"
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Here's what Hart and the rest of the Celtic pundits said after the thrilling game...
Joe Hart
"It's been an excellent campaign. There's obviously been that one blip in Dortmund but they've proven that was an anomaly. They were solid defensively today and really good in the first half. The game got stretched and Young Boys got a bit of freedom. It took that big moment and you don't care how you win. This has been an excellent seven-game performance from Celtic."
Neil Lennon
The former Celtic boss appeared on TV during the game and on talkSPORT the morning after and he credited the fans for helping them over the line. He said: "When it got a little bit edgy in the second half, I thought the fans really got behind the team around 70, 75 minutes. They gave the team a real lift.
"It was. a great night. Obviously the significance of the game was not lost on anyone. I echo what Brendan said, in the first half they were brilliant, but then got a little but ragged in the second. But they persevered, and then the ball from Hatate for Idah was fantastic.
"He probably should have scored (instead of forcing the own goal), but he did brilliantly to get his body across and get himself in there. They got a bit of luck with the goal, but they more than deserved that for the way they played."
Chris Sutton
Brendan Rodgers said after the game he was calmly confident the win was going to come even after a fraught first half saw them have three goals chalked off and miss a penalty. Sutton was asked on Match of the Day if he thought it 'wasn't going to happen' for the Hoops. And he joked: "I'm not going to disagree with Brendan Rodgers, but he must be lying!
"How could he have stayed calm? They made heavy weather of it in periods. It was fine margins in the first half, you could say poor play from Celtic to be caught offside. Celtic got the penalty, Young Boys might have thought that was soft but there was a tug on Taylor.
"Second half, Celtic lost control. Then they made the sub, brought Idah on, and he's claiming that goal – not even I would claim that goal! But it's a wonderful pass from Hatate. What an important goal, because a draw and Celtic would have been in all sorts of pressure against Aston Villa next week. That puts them through, and that is a massive achievement."
Mark Wilson
The former Hoops defender said on Sky Sports: "Unbelievably they've done it! They've been unlucky all night but it's a huge slice of luck that gets them it. Fantastic play from Reo Hatate, he plays a beautiful through ball from the halfway line. Benito can't sort out his feet and it finds its way in. Idah won't care, Brendan Rodgers won't care, and certainly Celtic Park won't care. They are heading for the playoffs!"
