Media view on Joe Hart - Henry Winter, The Times

Chief football writer at The Times, Henry Winter has followed Joe Hart’s progress since his breakthrough at Shrewsbury, move to Manchester City in 2006 and a career that has taken in two titles, two League Cups, the FA Cup, PFA recognition and 75 England caps.

Henry has covered England since 1994 and got to know Joe well over the years, and gave us his insight into a goalkeeper who told us he has ‘so much to give’ after signing a deal at the Club until 2022 on Tuesday.

'A great character'

"Joe Hart is very, very dedicated. I once spent 20 minutes with him as he showed me how he prepares. I said to him ‘what’s it like being a goalkeeper?’ and he showed me his fingers, how he tapes them up, he almost went through every finger... ‘that one’s a little sensitive, I took a drive from Messi there...’, these are the tools of his trade and his dedication for every game, and this was when he wasn’t even playing every game, but he would get himself ready. Little things like when he was at West Ham and Adrian was first choice under David Moyes. Joe would get up in the morning and he would say, ‘I’m going to be the best I can today, and if the best I can be is helping Adrian get ready for Saturday’s game, that’s what I’ll do’. He’s very selfless like that, even though he has belief in himself that he should be playing. He’s such a team player. I think it goes back to something that happened to him when he was playing at Shrewsbury, as a 15-year-old breaking into the first team squad. He was throwing himself around in training and all the wise, old professionals, 29, 30, 31 would say to him, ‘one day you will fall out of love with football’, but he replied, ‘I’ll never fall out of love with football’, and look at him now. It hurts him that he’s not playing at the top level because he genuinely believes he can. He will be totally professional and brilliant in training, because he’s such a great character, great around the dressing room, great around the club. Hugo Lloris will find someone who really helps him in training. He won’t be thinking, ‘I hope Hugo gets injured’, he will do everything he can to make sure he’s 100 per cent for the next match."

'Hugely respected'

"I thought it was interesting when Joe went back with Burnley to Manchester City, the first time he’d been back after he’d left City (October, 2018). He said he’d do an interview with me but wanted to do it the week after that game because it was going to be such an emotional moment for him to go back to City. I went to see him at Barnfield (Burnley’s training HQ) the week after, and he was still very emotional. This is a sign of how popular he is. He went there and met everyone at the club, not just the players he knew well, like John Stones, Vincent Kompany, but the security people, the staff, the kitman... he is genuinely a popular guy. There is no ego to him. It’s a sign of what a good servant he was to them that when he went out to Torino, the City fans, the 1894 group, sent the banner they had of him out to the Turin ultras, who then waved it at every game. This is a guy who cares so much about the game, loves football, and, I think, from top to bottom, is hugely respected. He has two titles, 75 caps, and there is still a good goalkeeper in there who will not let Spurs down."