‘I’ve ruined him’: Celtic target Joe Hart was once humiliated by Leigh Griffiths

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Celtic have reportedly made contact with the representatives of Joe Hart regarding a move to Celtic Park this summer. 

The Telegraph and Record Sport are both reporting that the former England number one is under serious consideration as a potential alternative to Fraser Forster, who is expected to get a chance to impress at parent club Southampton. 

Hart is a free agent in a matter of days as his contract at Burnley will not be extended. 

It would certainly be an eye-catching get for Celtic, despite the double Premier League winner’s recent dip in reputation.

It would also see him become team-mates with a player who once jokingly claimed to have ‘ruined’ his career. 

In June 2017, Scotland drew 2-2 with England in a dramatic World Cup qualifying match at Hampden Park.

England appeared to be on their way to victory before Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths curled home two brilliant free-kicks beyond Hart. 

Harry Kane then scored a late equaliser to ruin the party in Glasgow, but Griffiths had still made a fool of the England stopper 

Hart received plenty of stick for his inability to save either effort and it was, for many, the beginning of the end for Hart’s England career. 

At the time, he was unwanted at Manchester City, had just endured a difficult loan stint at Torino. 

Hart played just four more times for England and is not likely to break back into the national team set-up. 

Speaking to the Daily Record in December of that year, with Hart having recently been dropped by new club West Ham United, Griffiths joked that he had ‘ruined’ the England stopper. 

“I’ve ruined him!

“But seriously, I practise those free-kicks every day in training and thankfully they came off.

“I said to Stuart (Armstrong), ‘If I can get this over the wall then this has got a good chance of going in’. He (Hart) had left too much of a gap. My confidence was high having just scored the first one so to see the second one fly in was unbelievable.”

Hart himself was gracious about the issue. Speaking after the game, as reported by the Edinburgh News, Hart made it clear he ‘wanted to congratulate’ Griffiths whilst he also picked his brains on the technique he used, to try and improve for the future. 

Perhaps, next season, Griffiths can give him a full run through at Lennoxtown.