Joe Hart makes major Celtic confession as he 'wasn't quite sure' about Brendan Rodgers
Joe Hart has paid tribute to Brendan Rodgers for making Celtic fans AND players forget all about Ange Postecoglou.
Rodgers' return to Parkhead last summer was met with some discontent by a section of fans who hadn't forgiven the Double Treble-winner for walking out on the club in 2019. But the Northern Irishman got supporters back on board by leading Celts to league and Scottish Cup glory last season.
And the Hoops have taken their game to another level after a formidable start to the 2024/25 campaign. Celts romped to a record 5-1 Champions League win over Slovan Bratislava last night and are favourites to land a play-off spot in the new league phase.
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Hart was blown away by his former club's performance on a special night in Glasgow's east end. And the legendary England keeper couldn't be happier for his ex-boss as he delivered a fascinating insight into the transition from Angeball. Celtic were the headline act on last night's BBC Champions League highlights programme and asked about Rodgers' comments on his team's booming confidence, Hart said: "That's something that really resonated with me when I heard him say that.
"Brendan came in, there were a few murmurs and it was his second tenure at the club. Ange Postecoglou had really laid his stamp. We've seen down in Tottenham what a feeling he has with the fans and that wasn't lost on the Celtic faithful. We played some incredible football.
"Brendan came in and it was a tough role to take over. Do you know what I love about him? He just took his time. He understood that we'd been well-drilled under the Ange Postecoglou regime, we had ways of playing, people had certain triggers which you can't just erase. He slowly worked his way and I personally wasn't quite sure, 'Is he going to put his stamp on this?'.
"And then four or three months to go, Brendan stepped and let everyone know what it meant to be a Celtic player and all of a sudden we started. It was just the little tweaks and minor changes to already complement what a great job Ange had done. Just put his spin on it and we really felt it as players.
"Then pre-season went so well and then the season starts incredibly well. A favourable draw in the Champions League and a night like this, it's just going to get better."