Former Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart has hailed Camilo Durán as an “absolute saviour” for Martin O’Neill’s side this season, while praising Callum Osmand’s ability to produce moments of magic.
The Englishman was delighted to see his former club secure their first Europa League victory of the campaign with a dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Besiktas on Thursday night.
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Despite Celtic’s inconsistent performances domestically, Hart believes their results are comparable to previous title-winning campaigns, insisting the biggest concern has been the lack of fluency in their attacking play.
Speaking on The Overlap Daily, Hart said: “That’s the thing about that club, and that is why I adore it, and I’m so pleased that I got to spend time there and be a part of it. The expectancy and the expectation, unless you are a Celtic man or a Celtic person, you wouldn’t understand, because, like you say, they’re still top.
“I think Rangers have a game in hand because they played in a cup semi-final at the weekend, but even if they win that, they’re still a point behind. And domestically, Celtic have lost two and drawn one in 11 games. It’s not the reason. I was looking at how they’ve started leagues in the past eight, nine years, and they’re right up there with what they do, but they’re not flowing. The strikers aren’t scoring.
“Camilo Durán has been an absolute saviour this season. Him and Callum Osmand came on, I think, around the 60th minute, with it looking ominous, 1-0 down against Besiktas, who were flying high, a good team.
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“And Callum Osmand’s first touch, he smashed it through bodies. He’s got that magic moment in him. He had it last year. He’s the one who scored when they beat Heart of Midlothian 3-1, and he got to run the length of the field on his own. He scored a couple of big goals in the title run-in as well.
“But it made me happy to feel the stadium shake through the TV, because that stadium does go wild, and people are talking with their feet. It wasn’t a sold-out crowd, which is so unlike Celtic.”
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Celtic in the Fifties by Matt Corr, in two volumes, both published on 4th September 2026 by Celtic Star Books. Click on image to order.
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