Joe Hart gushes over 'incredible' Celtic and reveals initial Brendan Rodgers reservations

Happiness was written across the face of Joe Hart as he described an "incredible" Celtic performance in the 5-1 victory over Slovan Bratislava in their Champions League opener.

The former Celtic goalkeeper, who retired in the summer after three silverware-laden seasons with the club, was on pundit duties for the BBC, who have secured rights to broadcast match highlights on a special new Champions League edition of Match of the Day.

Asked for his views on the efforts of his former team-mates, Hart beamed: "An incredible performance - and let me tell you that place is special on Champions League nights. For Celtic to start how they did, for the performance, that passion and energy from the crowd, from the players, from Brendan Rodgers, it was an incredible game to watch.

"They would have earmarked this game. They would have seen Slovan Bratislava as a great opportunity, but Celtic haven't necessarily taken those opportunities in recent times, even when I've been there.

"From the moment the game started, on the front foot. Nicolas Kuhn, energy, putting pressure on. Daizen Maeda setting the tone. Slovan Bratislava must have thought, 'what has hit us?'.

"I love the fact that they played so well and I'm absolutely buzzing for them."

Celtic players celebrate after Adam Idah made it 5-1 over Slovan Bratislava. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images

Hart worked with Brendan Rodgers during his final season at Celtic after two campaigns spent under the tutelage of Ange Postecoglou. The former England goalkeeper admitted it took time for Rodgers to put his own stamp on the side, with Hart admitting he held some reservations about whether the transformation would take place under the Northern Irishman.

"Brendan came in, there were a few murmurs, it was his second tenure at the club," Hart explained. "Ange Posteocglou had really laid his stamp. We've seen now down in England with Tottenham what a feeling he has with the fans, and that wasn't lost on the Celtic faithful. We played some incredible football under him.

"Brendan came in and it was a tough role to take over. But 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 and people had certain triggers which he couldn't just erase. You can't just erase them.

"So he slowly worked his way, and I personally wasn't quite sure. Is he going to put his stamp on this? And then, four, three months to go, Brendan stepped up, let everyone know what it meant to be a Celtic player, and all of a sudden we started. Just the little tweaks and minor changes of what had already complemented what a great job Ange had done, and put his spin on it. And we really felt it as players.

"I think pre-season going so well, then next thing you know the season starts incredibly well, a favourable draw in the Champions League, and after a night like this it's just going to get better."