Joe Hart
Encyclopedia
Charles Joseph John "Joe" Hart (born 19 April 1987) is an English football goalkeeper who plays for Premier League club Manchester City
and the England national football team
and was previously a regular for the England under-21 team
.
Having made his competitive international debut in September 2010, Hart is now recognised as England's first choice goalkeeper.
Hart was nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year
in 2010 but lost out to eventual new team-mate at Manchester City, James Milner
but was voted as the Premier League goalkeeper of the 2009–10 season in recognition of his performances at Birmingham City. He returned to Manchester City for the 2010–11 season and won the Barclays Golden Glove
for keeping the most clean sheets throughout the Premier League season.
, Shropshire, and attended Oxon Primary School, followed by Meole Brace School Science College
in Shrewsbury, where he was Head Boy
in his final year. Whilst he was still a Year 11 pupil at the school, he travelled with the first team squad of his hometown club, Shrewsbury Town
, to Exeter City
on 1 February 2003. He was a non-playing substitute on that occasion and fulfilled that role again versus Rochdale
at Gay Meadow
on 1 March 2003, still some six weeks short of his 16th birthday. This match yielded Shrewsbury's final victory in a season that culminated in relegation to the Conference
. During the one season that Shrewsbury spent in the Conference, Hart made his senior debut on 20 April 2004, a day after his 17th birthday. He played the full 90 minutes in the match against Gravesend & Northfleet
. Four days later, he conceded three at Morecambe
.
Hart did not play again until April of the following year, as Scott Howie
dominated goalkeeping duties. With Shrewsbury back in the Football League
(the newly-renamed League Two
) and struggling, Hart played six matches, conceding four goals.
From the start of the 2005–06 season
, Hart made the step up into the first team, and became the club's first choice goalkeeper, claiming the number 1 shirt. He played a full 46 match league season, conceding 55 goals. Despite conceding more than one goal per game, Hart won plaudits for his personal performances, winning his first England U-19 cap in October 2005, as a substitute against Poland
.
Hart also found admirers in the Premiership, with several top-flight scouts attending matches. On 30 November 2005, the Shropshire Star
newspaper reported that Everton
goalkeeping coach Chris Woods
had been present at Town's previous league match, a 4–3 loss at Rochdale
. boss Gary Peters
said "Everton have been to watch him, but you could say the same about Arsenal
, Chelsea
and every other team in the Premiership". Speculation about his future continued for the duration of the season, and with the presence of their goalkeeping coach Tim Flowers
at several matches, Manchester City became the most likely of his suitors.
On 7 February 2006, Hart was announced as the top League Two player in the PFA Fans' Player of the Month Awards for January 2006. Football fans voted him as the best player in the division via the PFA's website. At the PFA
Awards ceremony on 23 March 2006, it was announced that Hart had been voted as League Two's best goalkeeper for 2005–06
by his fellow professionals, earning him a place in the PFA League Two Team of the Year.
On 22 May 2006, City paid an initial £600,000 for Hart, for a maximum of £1,500,000 based on the number of matches he plays.
Hart made his debut for City on 14 October 2006 after injuries ruled out Andreas Isaksson
and Nicky Weaver
for the Premier League match against Sheffield United
. He kept a clean sheet
in the match, which finished goalless.
club Tranmere Rovers
. He made 6 appearances and conceded 8 goals. He was then named in his then-club manager Stuart Pearce
's first squad in his part-time role as England U21
coach, alongside another goalkeeper uncapped at U21 level, Ben Alnwick
. He was not chosen to start the match on 6 February 2007 against Spain
, but did come on as a substitute late in the game.
In April 2007, Hart joined Blackpool
on loan as cover for the injured trio of Rhys Evans
, Paul Rachubka
and Lewis Edge
. He kept a clean sheet in a 2–0 win for Blackpool at Huddersfield Town
on 9 April 2007, in his first game for the Seasiders. Blackpool won all five games in which Hart appeared, including a 6–3 win at Swansea City in his final game.
, named Hart as Manchester City's number 1 ahead of Andreas Isaksson
. After his performance against Newcastle United, Eriksson touted him as "one of the biggest talents in this country as a goalkeeper", and that he had the potential to become an England international in the future. Only months later, he made his England
debut against Trinidad & Tobago on 1 June 2008. In October, he was inducted to Shropshire Schools & Colleges Football Association’s Hall of Fame along with good friend and former teammate David Edwards
in recognition of their achievements. Later that month, he signed a new five-year contract.
After Isaksson's departure to PSV Eindhoven, Hart took the vacant number 1 jersey when the official squad numbers for the 2008–09 season were announced. However, his position as first-choice keeper was taken by Shay Given
upon the Irishman's arrival at the club in January 2009.
on 23 June 2009, paving the way for Hart to leave. Manager Mark Hughes
had been undecided about allowing the player to go out on loan as he was unwilling to sanction a permanent transfer. The following day it was announced that Hart would spend the 2009–10 Premier League season on loan to newly-promoted Birmingham City
. He made his debut in Birmingham's opening match of the season, a 1–0 defeat away to Manchester United
. In the early part of the season, Hart made errors which cost his side goals, and Maik Taylor
's clean sheet against Manchester City, a match for which Hart was ineligible, left manager Alex McLeish
with a selection dilemma. McLeish chose Hart, who kept his place in the starting eleven as Birmingham went on a club-record 12-match unbeaten run in the top division and set a Premier League record by fielding the same starting eleven for nine consecutive games. His performances improved: against Chelsea
in December, he "showed not only sharp judgment and reflexes, making three outstanding saves ... but a lack of fear also", despite needing staples in a gashed head sustained when diving at the feet of Salomon Kalou
. Hart was voted Birmingham City's Player of the Year for 2009–10, and nominated for the 2010 PFA Young Player of the Year
award alongside Wayne Rooney
, Cesc Fàbregas
and James Milner
. Though Milner won that award, Hart earned a place in the PFA Team of the Year
.
to start the opening game of the 2010–11 season against Tottenham Hotspur
. He produced a man-of-the-match performance, saving numerous challenging shots including a deflected effort from Benoît Assou-Ekotto
, which helped City to draw the game 0–0. Hart also kept a clean sheet in Manchester City's 3–0 victory over Liverpool
, where he was still first choice goalkeeper and made even more good saves, enhancing his reputation even further. Hart conceded his first goal of the season from a late penalty by Darren Bent
in a 0–1 defeat at Sunderland.
Hart helped his team overcome Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final by producing an excellent early save to deny Berbatov the opening goal. The match ended 1–0 to City, thanks to a goal scored by Yaya Toure
. Hart kept another clean sheet against Tottenham Hotspur to earn his team a place in the qualifying round of the Champions League
for the first time, and another in the FA Cup final in which Manchester City beat Stoke
1–0 with another goal from Yaya Toure
.
Hart was awarded the Barclays Golden Glove
award for the most number of clean sheets in the 2010–2011 Premier League season (18). He also broke the Manchester City club record for the most clean sheets during a season (29) previously held by Nicky Weaver
(26, but whilst the team was two divisions lower). At the Official Manchester City awards Joe Hart was awarded performance of the season for his excellent performance against Tottenham Hotspur
in August 2010.
Hart's position as City's "number one" was cemented when Shay Given
departed City for Aston Villa in July 2011.
in the preliminary England Under-21 30-man squad for Euro 2007
, and later made the final 23. In the team's final friendly before the finals, Hart was selected for his first Under-21 start, and played the full 90 minutes in a 5–0 win over Turkey
at Carrow Road
. However, Hart took no part in the finals, with Scott Carson
playing in all of England's four fixtures.
Hart was recalled to the U21s and was first choice at the Euro 2009 finals
. He started in the first two group stage matches and was rested for the last match as England had already sealed its passage to the knock-out stage. In the semifinal against Sweden, he conceded three goals in the second half as the match ended 3–3 after extra time but he made up for it by saving a penalty and scoring another as England won 5–4 on penalties. However he was suspended for the final after being controversially yellow-carded for leaving his line to talk to Mikael Lustig
as the Swede stepped up to take the penalty.
to the full England
squad for the friendly matches against USA
and Trinidad & Tobago. An unused substitute against USA, he made his debut against Trinidad & Tobago, on 1 June 2008 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium
, Port of Spain
. He came on at half time for David James
with England 2–0 up, eventually running out 3–0 winners. However, Hart's senior England debut did not earn Shrewsbury Town the expected bonus of £500,000 from Manchester City, as negotiated at part of his transfer in 2006, because it was not a competitive match.
Hart received a second call-up by Fabio Capello to face Czech Republic
on 20 August 2008, but was not brought on. Hart was called up to the next England squad due to a drop-out from Blackburn Rovers
goalkeeper Paul Robinson. On 8 November 2009, he was called up for a friendly against Brazil
.
Capello named Hart in his provisional 30-man squad for the 2010 World Cup
. Hart played the second half of both of England's warm-up games, replacing Robert Green
against Mexico
and James against Japan
, and kept a clean sheet in each case. All three goalkeepers, Hart, Green and James, were included in the final 23-man selection.
Hart did not feature in the World Cup but started England's next match, a friendly against Hungary
, to earn his fourth cap. He conceded his first England goal in dubious circumstances when the ball appeared not to have crossed the line from a deflection from Phil Jagielka
, and made a vital late save from Zoltan Gera
as England won 2–1. Hart was given his first competitive cap in a Euro 2012 Qualifier, a 4–0 win v Bulgaria at Wembley, making three crucial saves, one of which he palmed away and set up a counter attack for an England goal. He won another two caps in Friendlys against World Champions Spain, keeping a clean sheet in an England victory, and against Sweden, again keeping a clean sheet for a 1-0 England win.
Thus far England have not lost a single game in which Joe Hart has played in goal.
player with Shrewsbury CC and appeared for their first-team in the Birmingham and District Premier League
between 2003–05,and also spent two years with the Academy of Worcestershire County Cricket Club
.
Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
and the England national football team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
and was previously a regular for the England under-21 team
England national under-21 football team
England's national Under-21 football team, also known as England Under-21s or England U21, is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team....
.
Having made his competitive international debut in September 2010, Hart is now recognised as England's first choice goalkeeper.
Hart was nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year
PFA Young Player of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player aged 23 or under at the start of the season who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in English football...
in 2010 but lost out to eventual new team-mate at Manchester City, James Milner
James Milner
Milner was described as a "first class" student at his school; he left with 11 GCSEs and an award for his performance in physical education. Milner also showed talent in cricket, sprinting and long-distance running...
but was voted as the Premier League goalkeeper of the 2009–10 season in recognition of his performances at Birmingham City. He returned to Manchester City for the 2010–11 season and won the Barclays Golden Glove
Barclays Golden Glove
The Barclays Golden Glove is an annual association football award that is won by the goalkeeper who has kept the most clean sheets in that season's Barclays Premier League. It was formerly called the Barclaycard Golden Glove....
for keeping the most clean sheets throughout the Premier League season.
Shrewsbury Town
Hart was born in ShrewsburyShrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
, Shropshire, and attended Oxon Primary School, followed by Meole Brace School Science College
Meole Brace
Meole Brace is a suburb of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England.The Rea Brook flows through the area, a tributary of the River Severn. The brook was in the past known as the "Meole Brook". The name Meole Brace comes from the old Saxon manor house, which no longer stands, owned by the Brace family...
in Shrewsbury, where he was Head Boy
Head boy
Head Boy and Head Girl are terms commonly used in the British education system, and in private schools throughout the Commonwealth.-United Kingdom:...
in his final year. Whilst he was still a Year 11 pupil at the school, he travelled with the first team squad of his hometown club, Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...
, to Exeter City
Exeter City F.C.
Exeter City Football Club is an English football club, based in Exeter, which is owned by its fans through the Exeter City Supporters Trust.The club was a member of the Football League from 1920 to 2003...
on 1 February 2003. He was a non-playing substitute on that occasion and fulfilled that role again versus Rochdale
Rochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...
at Gay Meadow
Gay Meadow
The Gay Meadow is the former home ground of Shrewsbury Town FC, a football club in England. It was situated just outside the town centre of Shrewsbury, on the banks of the River Severn and it opened in August 1910....
on 1 March 2003, still some six weeks short of his 16th birthday. This match yielded Shrewsbury's final victory in a season that culminated in relegation to the Conference
Football Conference
The Football Conference is a football league in England which consists of three divisions called Conference National, Conference North, and Conference South. Some Football Conference clubs are fully professional, such as Luton Town, but most of them are semi-professional...
. During the one season that Shrewsbury spent in the Conference, Hart made his senior debut on 20 April 2004, a day after his 17th birthday. He played the full 90 minutes in the match against Gravesend & Northfleet
Gravesend & Northfleet F.C.
Ebbsfleet United Football Club is an English professional football team currently playing in the Conference National. The team plays their home matches at Stonebridge Road in Northfleet, Kent. However, the club is now looking to build a new stadium in the Ebbsfleet Valley vicinity in...
. Four days later, he conceded three at Morecambe
Morecambe F.C.
Morecambe Football Club is an English football club based in Morecambe, Lancashire. It plays its football in League Two, the fourth division of English football, having been promoted in 2007 for the first time in their history to the Football League. They played their home matches at Christie Park...
.
Hart did not play again until April of the following year, as Scott Howie
Scott Howie
Scott Howie is a Scottish former professional football goalkeeper. Having played professionally in the English and Scottish football leagues, he currently plays for English non-league side Wroxham....
dominated goalkeeping duties. With Shrewsbury back in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
(the newly-renamed League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
) and struggling, Hart played six matches, conceding four goals.
From the start of the 2005–06 season
2005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
, Hart made the step up into the first team, and became the club's first choice goalkeeper, claiming the number 1 shirt. He played a full 46 match league season, conceding 55 goals. Despite conceding more than one goal per game, Hart won plaudits for his personal performances, winning his first England U-19 cap in October 2005, as a substitute against Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
.
Hart also found admirers in the Premiership, with several top-flight scouts attending matches. On 30 November 2005, the Shropshire Star
Shropshire Star
The Shropshire Star is a regional newspaper covering the whole of Shropshire, plus parts of Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Cheshire, the Llangollen area and northern Powys in the United Kingdom.-About:The editor is Keith Harrison....
newspaper reported that Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
goalkeeping coach Chris Woods
Chris Woods
Christopher 'Chris' Charles Eric Woods is a former England international football goalkeeper, who played in the Football League and Premier League for Queens Park Rangers, Norwich City, Sheffield Wednesday, Reading, Southampton and Burnley, in the Scottish Football League for Rangers, and in Major...
had been present at Town's previous league match, a 4–3 loss at Rochdale
Rochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...
. boss Gary Peters
Gary Peters (footballer)
Gary David Peters is an English former professional footballer and now manager. He is currently Director of Football at Hereford United.-Playing career:...
said "Everton have been to watch him, but you could say the same about Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
and every other team in the Premiership". Speculation about his future continued for the duration of the season, and with the presence of their goalkeeping coach Tim Flowers
Tim Flowers
Timothy David "Tim" Flowers is an English former football goalkeeper and the former manager of Conference North team Stafford Rangers.-Club career:...
at several matches, Manchester City became the most likely of his suitors.
On 7 February 2006, Hart was announced as the top League Two player in the PFA Fans' Player of the Month Awards for January 2006. Football fans voted him as the best player in the division via the PFA's website. At the PFA
Professional Footballers' Association
The Professional Footballers' Association is the trade union for professional footballers in England and Wales. The world's oldest professional sport trade union, it has 4,000 members....
Awards ceremony on 23 March 2006, it was announced that Hart had been voted as League Two's best goalkeeper for 2005–06
2005-06 in English football
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:*The rebuilt Wembley Stadium was due to open in time for the FA Cup final in May. However, in August 2005, The Football Association reserved the Millennium Stadium as a backup, as there was some doubt whether...
by his fellow professionals, earning him a place in the PFA League Two Team of the Year.
Manchester City
With Hart in Belgium preparing to make his fifth appearance for the England U19 squad, in the Elite qualifying round for the 2006 UEFA U-19 Championship, it was announced that his move to Manchester City had been completed. England lost the match to Serbia and Montenegro and failed to qualify.On 22 May 2006, City paid an initial £600,000 for Hart, for a maximum of £1,500,000 based on the number of matches he plays.
Hart made his debut for City on 14 October 2006 after injuries ruled out Andreas Isaksson
Andreas Isaksson
Andreas Isaksson is a Swedish footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Dutch club PSV Eindhoven and for the Swedish national team.-Club career:...
and Nicky Weaver
Nicky Weaver
Nicholas James "Nicky" Weaver is an English footballer who is a goalkeeper currently playing for League One club Sheffield Wednesday. Weaver is a former England under-21 international.-Career:...
for the Premier League match against Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
. He kept a clean sheet
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
in the match, which finished goalless.
Loaned to Tranmere Rovers and then Blackpool
Hart spent the whole month of January 2007 on loan to League OneFootball League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
club Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers F.C.
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
. He made 6 appearances and conceded 8 goals. He was then named in his then-club manager Stuart Pearce
Stuart Pearce
Stuart Pearce OBE is an English football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the England national under-21 team and the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic football team...
's first squad in his part-time role as England U21
England national under-21 football team
England's national Under-21 football team, also known as England Under-21s or England U21, is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team....
coach, alongside another goalkeeper uncapped at U21 level, Ben Alnwick
Ben Alnwick
Benjamin Robert "Ben" Alnwick is an English footballer who plays for Leyton Orient on loan from Tottenham Hotspur as a goalkeeper. He has also been capped at under-16 and under-18 level for the England team.-Sunderland:...
. He was not chosen to start the match on 6 February 2007 against Spain
Spain national under-21 football team
The Spain national under-21 football team, is the national under-21 football team of Spain and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation. The team, nicknamed La Rojita , competes in the biannual European Under-21 Football Championship.Following the realignment of UEFA's youth...
, but did come on as a substitute late in the game.
In April 2007, Hart joined Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
on loan as cover for the injured trio of Rhys Evans
Rhys Evans
Rhys Karl Evans is an English footballer who played for Southend United and is currently on trial at Bradford City, a club he is very much fond of. He is a goalkeeper, who won two England under-21 caps....
, Paul Rachubka
Paul Rachubka
Paul Stephen Rachubka is an American-English professional Association football goalkeeper who plays for Leeds United after joining the club from Blackpool ....
and Lewis Edge
Lewis Edge
Lewis John Spencer Edge is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for AFC Fylde in the NPL Division One North league.-Cricket:...
. He kept a clean sheet in a 2–0 win for Blackpool at Huddersfield Town
Huddersfield Town F.C.
Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
on 9 April 2007, in his first game for the Seasiders. Blackpool won all five games in which Hart appeared, including a 6–3 win at Swansea City in his final game.
Return to Manchester City
On his return from a successful loan spell at Blackpool, former Manchester City manager, Sven-Göran ErikssonSven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson , in Sweden commonly referred to just by his nickname Svennis, is a Swedish ex-football manager. From October 2010 to October 2011 he managed Football League Championship side Leicester City....
, named Hart as Manchester City's number 1 ahead of Andreas Isaksson
Andreas Isaksson
Andreas Isaksson is a Swedish footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Dutch club PSV Eindhoven and for the Swedish national team.-Club career:...
. After his performance against Newcastle United, Eriksson touted him as "one of the biggest talents in this country as a goalkeeper", and that he had the potential to become an England international in the future. Only months later, he made his England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
debut against Trinidad & Tobago on 1 June 2008. In October, he was inducted to Shropshire Schools & Colleges Football Association’s Hall of Fame along with good friend and former teammate David Edwards
David Edwards (footballer)
David Alexander Edwards is an English-born Welsh international footballer who plays as a midfielder for Wolverhampton Wanderers. He is known for his energetic runs and work rate.-Early life:...
in recognition of their achievements. Later that month, he signed a new five-year contract.
After Isaksson's departure to PSV Eindhoven, Hart took the vacant number 1 jersey when the official squad numbers for the 2008–09 season were announced. However, his position as first-choice keeper was taken by Shay Given
Shay Given
Séamus John James "Shay" Given is an Irish footballer who plays for Aston Villa and the Republic of Ireland national team as a goalkeeper. He won the PFA's Player of the Year in 2002....
upon the Irishman's arrival at the club in January 2009.
Loan to Birmingham City
Having played no games for City since Given's arrival, rumours began to emerge of a loan move away from Manchester. City secured the transfer of Stuart Taylor from Aston VillaAston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
on 23 June 2009, paving the way for Hart to leave. Manager Mark Hughes
Mark Hughes
Leslie Mark Hughes, OBE , is a former Welsh international footballer. As an international footballer, he made 72 appearances and scored 16 goals....
had been undecided about allowing the player to go out on loan as he was unwilling to sanction a permanent transfer. The following day it was announced that Hart would spend the 2009–10 Premier League season on loan to newly-promoted Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
. He made his debut in Birmingham's opening match of the season, a 1–0 defeat away to Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. In the early part of the season, Hart made errors which cost his side goals, and Maik Taylor
Maik Taylor
Maik Stefan Taylor is a professional footballer who plays for Leeds United and is a former Northern Ireland international....
's clean sheet against Manchester City, a match for which Hart was ineligible, left manager Alex McLeish
Alex McLeish
Alexander "Alex" McLeish , is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager, who is currently managing English Premier League club Aston Villa...
with a selection dilemma. McLeish chose Hart, who kept his place in the starting eleven as Birmingham went on a club-record 12-match unbeaten run in the top division and set a Premier League record by fielding the same starting eleven for nine consecutive games. His performances improved: against Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
in December, he "showed not only sharp judgment and reflexes, making three outstanding saves ... but a lack of fear also", despite needing staples in a gashed head sustained when diving at the feet of Salomon Kalou
Salomon Kalou
Salomon Armand Magloire Kalou is an Ivorian footballer who plays as a striker for Chelsea in the Premier League.He is often used on the wings at Chelsea. He has a preference for playing on the left wing as this gives him opportunities to cut inside and take shots with his favoured right foot...
. Hart was voted Birmingham City's Player of the Year for 2009–10, and nominated for the 2010 PFA Young Player of the Year
PFA Young Player of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player aged 23 or under at the start of the season who is adjudged to have been the best of the season in English football...
award alongside Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Mark Rooney is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester United and the England national team...
, Cesc Fàbregas
Cesc Fàbregas
Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas i Soler is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona.Fàbregas started his career as a trainee with Barcelona but was signed by Premier League side Arsenal in September 2003 at the age of 16...
and James Milner
James Milner
Milner was described as a "first class" student at his school; he left with 11 GCSEs and an award for his performance in physical education. Milner also showed talent in cricket, sprinting and long-distance running...
. Though Milner won that award, Hart earned a place in the PFA Team of the Year
PFA Team of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year is an annual award given to a set of 44 footballers in the top four tiers of English football; the Premier League, the Championship, League One and League Two, whom are seen to be deserving of being named in a "Team of the Year".The award...
.
Return to Manchester City
After a successful spell at Birmingham City, which earned him a place in the England squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Hart was chosen ahead of Shay GivenShay Given
Séamus John James "Shay" Given is an Irish footballer who plays for Aston Villa and the Republic of Ireland national team as a goalkeeper. He won the PFA's Player of the Year in 2002....
to start the opening game of the 2010–11 season against Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
. He produced a man-of-the-match performance, saving numerous challenging shots including a deflected effort from Benoît Assou-Ekotto
Benoît Assou-Ekotto
Benoît Pierre David Assou-Ekotto is a French-born Cameroonian footballer who plays for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur as a left back.-RC Lens:...
, which helped City to draw the game 0–0. Hart also kept a clean sheet in Manchester City's 3–0 victory over Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, where he was still first choice goalkeeper and made even more good saves, enhancing his reputation even further. Hart conceded his first goal of the season from a late penalty by Darren Bent
Darren Bent
Darren Ashley Bent is an English footballer who plays for Aston Villa as a striker.Bent started his career with Ipswich Town. After progressing through their youth system he made his first team debut in 2001. He made 122 appearances and scored 48 goals in the league for Ipswich, before joining...
in a 0–1 defeat at Sunderland.
Hart helped his team overcome Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final by producing an excellent early save to deny Berbatov the opening goal. The match ended 1–0 to City, thanks to a goal scored by Yaya Toure
Yaya Touré
Gnégnéri Yaya Touré , commonly known as Yaya Touré, is an Ivorian footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Côte d'Ivoire national side...
. Hart kept another clean sheet against Tottenham Hotspur to earn his team a place in the qualifying round of the Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
for the first time, and another in the FA Cup final in which Manchester City beat Stoke
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
1–0 with another goal from Yaya Toure
Yaya Touré
Gnégnéri Yaya Touré , commonly known as Yaya Touré, is an Ivorian footballer who currently plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Côte d'Ivoire national side...
.
Hart was awarded the Barclays Golden Glove
Barclays Golden Glove
The Barclays Golden Glove is an annual association football award that is won by the goalkeeper who has kept the most clean sheets in that season's Barclays Premier League. It was formerly called the Barclaycard Golden Glove....
award for the most number of clean sheets in the 2010–2011 Premier League season (18). He also broke the Manchester City club record for the most clean sheets during a season (29) previously held by Nicky Weaver
Nicky Weaver
Nicholas James "Nicky" Weaver is an English footballer who is a goalkeeper currently playing for League One club Sheffield Wednesday. Weaver is a former England under-21 international.-Career:...
(26, but whilst the team was two divisions lower). At the Official Manchester City awards Joe Hart was awarded performance of the season for his excellent performance against Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
in August 2010.
Hart's position as City's "number one" was cemented when Shay Given
Shay Given
Séamus John James "Shay" Given is an Irish footballer who plays for Aston Villa and the Republic of Ireland national team as a goalkeeper. He won the PFA's Player of the Year in 2002....
departed City for Aston Villa in July 2011.
Under-21
Hart was selected by Stuart PearceStuart Pearce
Stuart Pearce OBE is an English football manager and former player. He is currently the manager of the England national under-21 team and the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic football team...
in the preliminary England Under-21 30-man squad for Euro 2007
2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
The UEFA U-21 Championship 2007 were held from 10 June 2007 to 23 June 2007. It is the 16th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Football Championship....
, and later made the final 23. In the team's final friendly before the finals, Hart was selected for his first Under-21 start, and played the full 90 minutes in a 5–0 win over Turkey
Turkey national under-21 football team
Turkey's national Under-21 football team , also known as Turkey Under-21s or Turkey U-21s, is the Under-21 years of age team of the Turkey national football team.-History:...
at Carrow Road
Carrow Road
Carrow Road is a football stadium in Norwich, England, and is the home of Norwich City Football Club. The stadium is located toward the easterly end of the city, not far from Norwich railway station and the River Wensum....
. However, Hart took no part in the finals, with Scott Carson
Scott Carson
Scott Paul Carson is an English footballer who plays for Bursaspor as a goalkeeper.He joined the Leeds United football academy in 2002, making his full first team debut for Leeds against Manchester United in February 2004...
playing in all of England's four fixtures.
Hart was recalled to the U21s and was first choice at the Euro 2009 finals
2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
The 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship began on 15 June 2009, and was the 17th UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. This was the first tournament after the competition reverted to a two-year format, following the single-year 2006-07 competition, which allowed the change to...
. He started in the first two group stage matches and was rested for the last match as England had already sealed its passage to the knock-out stage. In the semifinal against Sweden, he conceded three goals in the second half as the match ended 3–3 after extra time but he made up for it by saving a penalty and scoring another as England won 5–4 on penalties. However he was suspended for the final after being controversially yellow-carded for leaving his line to talk to Mikael Lustig
Mikael Lustig
Carl Mikael Lustig is a Swedish footballer playing for Rosenborg BK in the Norwegian Premier League. His favoured position is right back but due to his height he can also play as a central defender.-Early career:...
as the Swede stepped up to take the penalty.
Senior team
Having been a regular in the England U21 squad, Hart was called up by Fabio CapelloFabio Capello
Fabio Capello is an Italian football manager and former player. He is the manager of the England national football team.Capello has the distinction of winning the domestic league title with every club he has coached throughout his career...
to the full England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
squad for the friendly matches against USA
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
and Trinidad & Tobago. An unused substitute against USA, he made his debut against Trinidad & Tobago, on 1 June 2008 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium
Hasely Crawford Stadium
The Hasely Crawford Stadium, located in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, is named after Hasely Crawford, the first person from Trinidad and Tobago to win an Olympic gold medal. Originally built as the National Stadium in 1980, the stadium was re-named to honour Crawford in 2001. The stadium...
, Port of Spain
Port of Spain
Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population...
. He came on at half time for David James
David James (footballer)
David Benjamin James is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Bristol City.On 14 February 2009, he achieved the all-time Premier League appearance record with 536 appearances, overtaking Gary Speed. He held this record until being overtaken by Ryan Giggs on the 14th May 2011...
with England 2–0 up, eventually running out 3–0 winners. However, Hart's senior England debut did not earn Shrewsbury Town the expected bonus of £500,000 from Manchester City, as negotiated at part of his transfer in 2006, because it was not a competitive match.
Hart received a second call-up by Fabio Capello to face Czech Republic
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
on 20 August 2008, but was not brought on. Hart was called up to the next England squad due to a drop-out from Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
goalkeeper Paul Robinson. On 8 November 2009, he was called up for a friendly against Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
.
Capello named Hart in his provisional 30-man squad for the 2010 World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
. Hart played the second half of both of England's warm-up games, replacing Robert Green
Robert Green
Robert Paul Green is an English footballer who plays for West Ham United and the England national football team as a goalkeeper.-Norwich City:...
against Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
and James against Japan
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...
, and kept a clean sheet in each case. All three goalkeepers, Hart, Green and James, were included in the final 23-man selection.
Hart did not feature in the World Cup but started England's next match, a friendly against Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
, to earn his fourth cap. He conceded his first England goal in dubious circumstances when the ball appeared not to have crossed the line from a deflection from Phil Jagielka
Phil Jagielka
Philip Nikodem "Phil" Jagielka is an English international footballer who plays for Everton in the Premier League. He played regularly in central midfield for his previous club Sheffield United, but generally plays in central defence for Everton...
, and made a vital late save from Zoltan Gera
Zoltán Gera
Zoltán Gera is a Hungarian footballer who currently plays for West Bromwich Albion. He usually plays as an attacking midfielder, though he has also played on both the right and left wings throughout his career...
as England won 2–1. Hart was given his first competitive cap in a Euro 2012 Qualifier, a 4–0 win v Bulgaria at Wembley, making three crucial saves, one of which he palmed away and set up a counter attack for an England goal. He won another two caps in Friendlys against World Champions Spain, keeping a clean sheet in an England victory, and against Sweden, again keeping a clean sheet for a 1-0 England win.
Thus far England have not lost a single game in which Joe Hart has played in goal.
Cricket
Before he turned to football, Hart was a promising young cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
player with Shrewsbury CC and appeared for their first-team in the Birmingham and District Premier League
Birmingham and District Premier League
The Birmingham and District Cricket League is the oldest club cricket league in the world, formed in 1888. Arguably the strongest club competition in the country, it was also the first ECB Premier League, being designated such in 1998.- Geography :...
between 2003–05,and also spent two years with the Academy of Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
.
Club
Blackpool:- League One play-off winnerFootball League One play-offsThe Football League One Playoffs are a series of playoff matches, contested by the teams finishing from 3rd to 6th in the NPower Football League One table to determine the third spot for promotion to the second tier of English football, the Championship....
: 2006/07
Manchester City
- FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
: 20112011 FA Cup FinalThe 2011 FA Cup Final was the 130th final of the FA Cup, the world's oldest domestic football cup competition. The match took place on 14 May 2011 at Wembley Stadium in London. The clubs contesting the 2011 final were Premier League clubs Manchester City and Stoke City, with the victors guaranteed...
Individual
- Barclays Golden GloveBarclays Golden GloveThe Barclays Golden Glove is an annual association football award that is won by the goalkeeper who has kept the most clean sheets in that season's Barclays Premier League. It was formerly called the Barclaycard Golden Glove....
: 2010/11 - Premier League goalkeeper of the year: 2009/10
- League Two best goalkeeper of the year: 2005/06
- Birmingham City player of the year: 2009/10
- Manchester City Performance of the Season: 2010/11
Goalkeeper club stats
- As of match played 21 August 2011
Club Season League League Cups colspan="2"|EFA|no Other Total Apps Apps Apps Apps Apps Shrewsbury Town Shrewsbury Town F.C.Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...2003–04 Conference National Conference NationalConference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2004–05 2004–05 Football League TwoThe 2004–05 Football League Two season was the first season since the Football League Third Division was renamed League Two, following a sponsorship deal with Coca-Cola. The league was made up of eighteen teams from the Third Division who were neither promoted or relegated, the four relegated...League Two Football League TwoFootball League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....6 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 2 2005–06 46 12 4 1 0 0 0 0 50 13 Manchester City Manchester City F.C.Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...2006–07 Premier League 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 Tranmere Rovers (loan) 2006–07 League One Football League OneFootball League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 1 Blackpool Blackpool F.C.Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
(loan)2006–07 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 1 Manchester City Manchester City F.C.Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...2007–08 Premier League 2007–08The 2007–08 Premier League season was the sixteenth since its establishment. The first matches of the season were played on 11 August 2007, and the season ended on 11 May 2008...Premier League 26 7 6 3 0 0 0 0 32 10 2008–09 Premier League 2008–09The 2008–09 Premier League season was the seventeenth since its establishment in 1992. Manchester United became champions for the eleventh time on the penultimate weekend of the season, defending their crown after winning their tenth Premier League title on the final day of the previous season...23 6 1 0 9 5 0 0 33 11 Birmingham City Birmingham City F.C.Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
(loan)2009–10 Premier League 2009–10The 2009–10 Premier League was the 18th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. A total of 20 teams competed in the league, with Chelsea unseating the three-time defending champions Manchester United, scoring a Premier League record 103 goals in the process...36 10 5 2 0 0 0 0 41 12 Manchester City Manchester City F.C.Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...2010–11 2010–11 Premier LeagueThe 2010–11 Premier League was the 19th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2010–11 fixtures were released on 17 June 2010 at 09:00 BST. The season began on 14 August 2010, and ended on 22 May 2011...38 18 8 6 8 5 0 0 54 29 2011–12 2011–12 Premier LeagueThe 2011–12 Premier League is the twentieth season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2011–12 fixtures were announced on 17 June 2011 at 9:00 BST. The season began on 13 August 2011 and is due to end on 13 May 2012...11 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 5 1 Career totals 198 61 24 12 17 10 1 0 237 83
Goalkeeper national stats
- As of 9 September 2010
National
TeamYear Friendlies FIFAThe Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...World Cup FIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...Euro Championships UEFA European Football ChampionshipThe UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...Confederations Cup FIFA Confederations CupThe FIFA Confederations Cup is an association football tournament for national teams, currently held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships , along with the FIFA World Cup winner and the host nation, to bring the number of teams...Total England England national football teamThe England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...2008 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2009 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2010 3 1 0 0 2 1 0 0 5 2 Total 4 1 0 0 2 1 0 0 6 2
External links
- Joe Hart club profile at the Official Manchester City website
- Joe Hart national profile at the TheFA.com
- Player Profile at skysports.com
- Profile at 4thegame.com
- Joe Hart's page on digdeep.com
- Premier League profile