JOE HART: There's so much heart and soul poured into what we're doing as a club, it was important to get this out and then push forward

GOALKEEPER might be the most individual position on the pitch but Joe Hart has always been the ultimate team player.

- MICHAEL GANNON

That is why he has gone public on the most personal of decisions as the Celtic No.1 announced he will hang up his gloves at the end of the season.

Hart knows there are a million and one issues and distractions swirling around the club right now as they gear up for the final push for the Premiership title.

And he doesn't want to be one of them. Hart is not interested in talk about his future or the inevitable long list of potential keepers who could be coming in to either battle him for the jersey or oust him out the side.

He doesn't need it and neither does manager Brendan Rodgers as he looks to plot a path back to form and to the summit of the division.

Hart has made the biggest individual decision of his career - and taken one for the team. He said: "This is something I've thought about for a while.

"There is no right or wrong time, is there? "The way this club works at the moment, there's so much on it, there's so much heart and soul poured into what we are doing as a football club.

"With the grand scheme of the club and the support base, and the conversations that go on around the goalkeeper position for next season, I just think, with the blessings of the club and the conversations with the club, with Brendan and Stevie Woods, it was important to get the message out.

"It takes one thing off the table that can be speculated over. I'm definitely not going to be there next season, I won't be available to play football. I want to take that off the table and we can talk about why and then push forward."