Joe Hart’s overlooked touch of class you may have missed after Celtic penalty win

Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart enjoyed quite the day yesterday as his blockbuster penalty heroics helped the Bhoys defeat Aberdeen to reach the Scottish Cup final.

Despite goals from Nicolas Kuhn, James Forrest, and Matt O’Riley, the Dons proved they were a match for Brendan Rodgers’ men at Hampden, hitting back with efforts from Bojan Miovski, Ester Sokler and Angus MacDonald.

In what proved to be an all-time cup classic, normal and extra time couldn’t separate both sides, leading to a penalty shootout that will live long in the memory of Celtic supporters.

Adam Idah, Luis Palma, O’Riley, Paulo Bernardo, Alistair Johnston, and Tomoki Iwata were all on target for the Hoops; however, Hart hit the post with a spot-kick that would’ve sent his side into the final courtesy of Ryan Duncan’s earlier miss in the wake of a bizarre delay due to Kelle Roos picking up a knock.

Nevertheless, the former England international wasn’t to be denied his place on the centre stage, as he kept out Killian Phillips’ effort to guarantee that Celtic will be back on Glasgow’s southside on May 25th.

Poetically, this will be the last chapter of Hart’s footballing career as he prepares to retire, so it was only fitting he is the man responsible for making it happen, even if he took the scenic route.

Joe Hart’s touch of class after Celtic reach Scottish Cup final

Noticeably, Hart remained muted in his celebrations at full-time, which is a sign of his consummate professionalism, given there is still a Scottish Cup final to play.

Now, Celtic’s Unique Angle video has flagged up a touch of class from the veteran stopper that may have been missed in the commotion after the Bhoys sealed victory over Aberdeen.

Fast forward to the 4:15 mark, and you will see Hart being briefly embraced by his teammates for his role in our Hampden triumph.

Despite this, he swiftly leaves the scene, pacing across the 18-yard box to console Aberdeen goalkeeper Roos in a touching gesture that reflects the character and decorum he brings to the Celtic dressing room.

Having been in the professional game for over 20 years, Hart will be a paid-up member of the goalkeepers’ union, which is more or less a collective realisation among fellow men between the sticks who respect each other’s work and the difficulties of playing in such a key position.

In a footballing landscape where the stakes are higher than ever before, Hart has shown there is still room for sportsmanship even at his finest hour.

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