Hart left England to move to Scotland in the summer after failing to get into the plans of former Tottenham manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
Given revealed that when Hart made the move to Celtic he sent him a message of good luck.
“I wished him well when he joined Celtic”, Given said exclusively to Ladbrokes at its launch of the 5-A-Side Bet on Leicester versus Newcastle.
“Joe’s a bubbly character and he’s quite a lot like myself; he’s frustrated when he’s not playing and all he wants to do is prove to people he’s still capable of performing at the top level.”
Given is of the view that Hart has been performing for Celtic and the fans have now taken to him.
Clubs such as Celtic have a massive following around the world and with that following comes expectation. Therefore, Hart has not made a bad move, Given feels, especially as he thinks in England they underestimate the size of the Bhoys.
“Celtic is a massive club and I think sometimes people in England underestimate the size of the club, not just in Scotland but around the world; they’ve got a massive following.
“He’s joined a big club there, and with that comes an expectation from fans.
“Those supporters can be tough on the players when things aren’t going well.
“But Joe’s been received really well since he joined; it looks like the fans have really taken to him, which proves he’s doing a good job on the pitch.”
Hart has featured in all but one Scottish Premiership game for Celtic so far this season, managing eight clean sheets.
He will be looking to help Celtic wrestle back the league title this season.
