The 34 years old English Goalkeeper, who made 342 appearances for Manchester City in all competitions has revealed the painful conversation with Pep Guardiola that ended 12 years career at Manchester City.
Before the arrival of Pep Guardiola in 2016, Joe Hart was the first choice goalkeeper for the Citizens. However, Joe Hart moved third in the pecking order behind new signing Claudio Bravo and Willy Caballero, previously his deputy.
Joe Hart said on the latest episode of the In the Stiffs podcast, to be released in full on Tuesday that a two-hour-long talk he had with Guardiola effectively ended his City career.
He said: “I just felt it coming, the Euros didn’t go great for me, I had a very poor Euros that year. I got myself back in as soon as I could and I knew I was going to put it on his toes as to what was going on,”.
“It was in China, I flew out early, I wanted to get in the door and have this conversation. He was very knowledgeable about my background, very knowledgeable about what we did, how I played football, it was a two-hour conversation that kind of ended with him saying ‘I can’t see this working.
“I said ‘I thought that might be the idea, I don’t agree with you. He said ‘I’ll be the first person to be proved wrong but what I see in you isn’t what I want from my goalkeeper’.
“I was like ‘it’s all very well saying that, but I’ve never been asked to do the kind of things I know you like your goalkeepers to do, so I think it’s only fair I will be given the opportunity. He said ‘of course, you’ll be given the opportunity, but…’. As soon as there are any buts at the end you know there’s a decision.”
Hart revealed he was desperate to be coached by Guardiola and wanted the opportunity to try and learn a new way of playing the game for a goalkeeper, but also accepts why the decision was made.
I wanted the opportunity to be coached by one of the best at it,” Hart told In the Stiffs during a detailed chat about his City career.
“Of course, I didn’t know how to do it, why would I know how to do something that I’d never been asked to do or taught to do? I suppose he was right, I couldn’t do it, he couldn’t just drop me into a team to play like he wanted to at that moment in time.
“I didn’t agree with it, but looking back and even at the time, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. I’d love to be here and be a part of it, but if that’s not what you see we need to work out the best way to go.
“I couldn’t say to him ‘are you mad, just watch me go out there and play this exact system’, I didn’t know it, not one of us knew it, but the goalkeeper is a very specific position and he was ahead of his time in making it that position, so the fact he knew he couldn’t just drop me into it that was enough for him.
“It was taken away from me, but so what? I’m not bigger than anyone and if that’s my path then that’s my path. The people of Manchester City will forever be in my heart, I’ll forever be grateful for that, but the team, the hierarchy, they’re businessmen.”
Hart spent time on loan at Torino and West Ham, as well as brief stints at Burnley and Tottenham, before joining Celtic last summer, where he is currently the first choice.