All good things must come to an end.

For Joe Hart, his Indian summer and career renaissance at Celtic is entering the home straight. Hart was at a low ebb when Celtic came calling three years ago. He was lost. He was cast out in the football wilderness. A goalkeeping pariah. He soon found a spiritual football home. A Paradise Found. It turned out to be a match made in heaven for both the club and the player.

The 36-year-old has already won five of the seven trophies that have been available to him in his stint in Glasgow. Few would bet against him hanging up his gloves and riding off into the sunset with a 'Magnificent 7' winners medal haul from north of the border. A top professional, the former Manchester City and England star has been a pivotal and vital influence in the green and white dressing room.

Now the end is near...and he may face the final curtain but Hart has no regrets about making the switch to Celtic. As Hart explained it just felt like the perfect time to ride off into the sunset but he leaves Celtic with a feeling of gratitude and pride that he got the chance to play for a Scottish institution. Celtic. They are more than just a club.

READ MORE: Celtic's Hart explains timing for retirement announcement

Hart said: "It was a natural three-year cycle that I had here. Previous to coming up here, I was a little bit lost in the footballing world. I felt like I still had my ability - this is not a complaint - but in the footballing world, you don’t have a place, especially as a goalkeeper.

"I didn’t quite fit and it wasn’t quite sticking the way I wanted it to. I got an opportunity to come up here and spoke to Ange Postecoglou and the club, I put a few things that I’d love to happen if I was given the opportunity, to which they were open to.

"I had to keep my end of the bargain by performing, and then I was embraced by such a huge amazing club. The most pleasing thing for me was a lot of the people here respected that I came and I gave my all, whether it was good, bad or indifferent. I’m sure there are plenty of times people have wanted me in and wanted me out, but that’s the life of a goalkeeper.

"Ultimately, I’ve been respected as a person and welcomed into a special cub. I’ll be 37 at the end of this season, what direction the club wants to go into, whether I fitted into that I wasn’t too sure, but we didn’t even have that conversation.I certainly wasn’t interested in trying to go and play anywhere else, so it felt right. I wanted to be strong, fit and ultimately happy. If there is such a thing, I feel I’m in that place, and I feel like this is the right time.

"We were off yesterday so a few messages came through. The majority of people that matter knew it was coming and I think the people especially those I know, they respect that this is just letting people know, and it’s not a time to go too deep. There’s a lot of work left to do and I’m looking forward to doing it. All I can tell you is I have loved every moment of being here. Myself, my family, it’s been everything and more that I’ve wanted it to be. I’ll be forever proud that I’ve played and represented this football club."

Now Hart is determined to burst through the tapes at high speed before calling time on his glittering goalkeeping career by clinching a Scottish Premiership and Scottish Cup double. It's why he chose to announce his retirement decision earlier this week because he wants nothing to stand in his way of helping Brendan Rodgers's men retain their Premiership crown. Nobody knows Hart's mind and body better than himself which is why he opted to go public and save the need for constant speculation and 'needless narratives' on his future.

Hart said: "Regardless of what’s going on in my life, it’s got nothing to do with me. That’s the aim of this club and the aim of these players and the management team. We play to win and that’s such a unique opportunity for me, to feel fit.  I want to put myself in the frame of mind to really go for it and go hard. Hopefully, the manager decides to play me in these games and I can do my best to end with a successful season.

"I've thought about it and there is a trend in football either physically or not having anywhere to go and I just took myself away from it. I respect everyone's decisions and how they want to do things. I just looked at it and I looked at the age I was going to be and I was aware of a lot of things as well as the stresses I had put myself through body-wise throughout my whole career and I didn't want to wait to be told. With a cycle of three years that I have managed to do up here, I am not interested in playing anywhere else. It just felt right.

"I feel like I know. I wanted the club to know because I have got a lot of respect and love for this place. I want the club to move forward and go on to bigger and better things. No one needs the speculation of one of the regular starters whether he is going to be offered a contract, sign a contract or whether he's looking elsewhere.

Celtic Way:

READ MORE: An ode to Celtic's soon to be retiring goalkeeper Joe Hart

"That's a needless narrative when all of a sudden we are all on the same page. I felt it was important to address it. There will be a couple of days of noise but we all know that on Monday nobody will care. Joe's retiring at the end of the season, Celtic needs a new goalkeeper but right now he's there and he will have his head down and will be fighting for this special club.

Now Hart's sole focus is on Fir Park this Sunday as Celtic attempt to dislodge new league leaders Rangers from their lofty perch at the top of the standings. The hunted have now become the hunters after last weekend's 1-1 draw with Kilmarnock at Parkhead saw Philippe Clement's Govan outfit move two points clear at the summit with 12 games left. Hart is well aware that needs to remain sharp if he is to pen the 'dream double' final chapter of his career.

He said: "We've addressed the game. We should have put the game to bed. We kept Kilmarnock alive and fair play to them they have managed to get a point. It's not ideal for us and we know we can improve. We regularly play at a high level.

"We just need to get back at it. What a great opportunity on Sunday. A local game which we will take great support to. We are starting to get the squad fit and we can only look forward to a big game and a big opportunity. I don't think the challenge changes. We still need to go out on the training field every day working as a team looking to improve. On Sunday we need to go out looking for the three points.

"Nothing changes for us and it is nice to be sat at the top of the league. I've only been here for three years and we sat on top of the league for a long time. The year before we had to work to drag ourselves back into it. What it is? Two points in it? There's plenty of football to be played. We're very positive and we are looking forward to the challenge. We were focused on Motherwell when we came back into training last Monday. We want to put our best performance in that we possibly can and hopefully get the three points."

You get a feeling Hart will have one thing in common with legendary Celtic manager Jock Stein. Stein once famously said: “Unlike many other Celts, I cannot claim that Celtic was my first love… but I can say that it will be my last love.”

Celtic will almost certainly be Hart's last football love. What price on Hart's glove affair with Celtic having the fairytale ending?