Joe Hart loves being a Celtic player. It is clear from what he says and what he does that he relishes every moment of playing for the club.

And the 36-year-old, who has achieved so many in a long and illustrious career, celebrates each new success as if it is his first achievement in the game.

It was the same at Hampden today (Saturday) as Celtic secured the Scottish Cup and a domestic treble with a 3-1 victory over Inverness Caley Thistle.

The victory actually represents Hart’s fifth winner’s medal as a Celt, and he explained to Celtic TV that all of his success is shared equally with his support network of family and friends.

“It’s a great achievement, there’s a lot of effort that’s gone into it and it’s a great feeling,” the Celtic goalkeeper said.

“You go through football working hard, putting your body on the line, putting everything on the line, and loving it, but not many players get the special rewards.

'That’s five trophies in two seasons, which is a great effort. I’m really proud to be part of that and we’re really lucky to do that.'

“We did okay today. We would have loved to have gone out there and played slick football but credit to Inverness, they put up a great fight today but we did what we had to do to win and lift the trophy.”

“We’re proud of what we’ve done but once you get a taste for something you just want more.

“You want the season to start again and go again, and as soon as we’re back in, we’re going to be chasing all three again and we’ve obviously got Europe.

“So that’s the relentlessness, that’s the level we’re at and what is expected of us and it feels great to perform and produce, but as the saying goes, we go again.”

The final whistle sparked scenes of jubilation at Hampden, with the overwhelming majority of the 52,000 crowd decked out in green and white.

And the sights and sounds of those celebrations were something that Hart and his team-mates savoured.

“It means everything to me,” he said. “It’s amazing for my close network – my friends and my family, who’ve been with me the whole way.

“I was lucky enough to experience what it felt like to be top of the world and winning and competing, and then I obviously had an inbetween time where that feeling wasn’t necessarily there, but the hard work was still there and the same people stayed close and dedicated to what we were doing.

“I stayed calm because there are very few players who get to win every single year, so to get it back and be up here playing in front of huge crowds with medals round our necks – I say ‘our’ because I represent a lot of people as well as the people at Celtic, so it’s a good feeling.

'I stood there trying to take it in when You’ll Never Walk Alone was being sung. It’s hard to find the words and to really show the appreciation but I know it’s not going to happen forever.'

“I’m not going to be inside the white lines forever, so it just makes me happy, it just makes me smile, and I just thought – what a moment, what a privilege, and it’s special.

“The medals are great, the awards are great but having learned what I’ve learned from being in football and at my age, is that there’s more to it, and it’s just a really, really special feeling.”

Joe Hart: These are the special moments to savour