Charles Joseph John "Joe" Hart[2] (born 19 April 1987) is an English football goalkeeper who plays for English Premier League club Manchester City and the England national football team and was a regular for the England Under-21's team.

Having made his competitive international debut in September 2010, Hart is seen as the next England number 1 goalkeeper by many fans[3] and media alike.[4][5] He 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 and is regarded as one of the best young goalkeepers in the world[6] whilst being praised by World Cup winning goalkeepers Gianluigi Buffon.[7]

Club career

Shrewsbury Town

Hart was born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, and attended Oxon Primary School, followed by Meole Brace School Science College in Shrewsbury, where he was Head Boy in his final year.[8] 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 and conceded 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. Shrewsbury 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.[9] 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.[10]

Hart in November 2008

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,[11] it was announced that his move to Manchester City had been completed.[12] 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 and Nicky Weaver for the Premier League match against Sheffield United. He kept a clean sheet 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 One 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.[13] Blackpool won all five games in which Hart appeared, including a 6–3 win at Swansea City in his final game,[14] and he helped them claim a place in the end-of-season play-offs, via which they won promotion.

Return to Manchester City

On his return from a successful loan spell at Blackpool, former Manchester City manager, Sven-Göran Eriksson, 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.[15] 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.[16] Later that month, he signed a new five-year contract.[17]

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.

Birmingham City

Hart in May 2010

Having played no games for City since Given's arrival, rumours began to emerge of a loan move away from Manchester.[18] City secured the transfer of Stuart Taylor from Aston Villa on 23 June 2009,[19] 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.[citation needed] The following day it was announced that Hart would spend the 2009–10 Premier League season on loan to newly-promoted Birmingham City.[20] He made his debut in Birmingham's opening match of the season, a 1–0 defeat away to Manchester United.[21] 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.[22] 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[23] and set a Premier League record by fielding the same starting eleven for nine consecutive games.[24] His performances improved:[25] 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.[26] Hart was voted Birmingham City's Player of the Year for 2009–10,[27] and nominated for the 2010 PFA Young Player of the Year award alongside Wayne Rooney, Cesc Fàbregas and James Milner.[28] Though Milner won that award, Hart earned a place in the PFA Team of the Year.[29]

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 Given 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[30]. 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 to seal a 1-0 win for Sunderland.

International career

Under-21

Hart was selected by Stuart Pearce 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 Slovakia 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[31] after being controversially yellow-carded for leaving his line to talk to Mikael Lustig as the Swede stepped up to take the penalty.[32]

Senior team

Having been a regular in the England U21 squad, Hart was called up by Fabio Capello 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.[33] 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.[34]

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.[35] On 8 November 2009, he was called up for a friendly against Brazil.[36]

Capello named Hart in his provisional 30-man squad for the 2010 World Cup.[37] 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.[38][39] All three goalkeepers, Hart, Green and James, were included in the final 23-man selection.[40]

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.[41] Hart is currently considered England's number one keeper after Robert Green's blunder at the World Cup, David James' drop in form after moving to Npower Championship side Bristol City and Paul Robinson's international retirement.[42] 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. It is now believed by many that he will be Englands number 1 for a long time to come.