Hart of the City: A recap of the goalkeeper's career | OneFootball

When a 19-year-old goalkeeper joined City from Shrewsbury on this day in 2006, few could have predicted quite the heights he’d reach.

By the end of his career, Joe Hart was a two-time Premier League winner, as well as FA Cup and League Cup victor too, and proud owner of 75 England caps including as first-choice at three major tournaments.

When he made the move to City, Hart was already an experienced first teamer at the Salop side, having played 54 times including in every single league game of 2005/06.

A Head Boy in his final year at school and a part of Worcestershire County Cricket Club’s youth setup before focusing on football, it appeared Hart was always destined for success.

But the summer of 2006 brought a move north to Manchester, the bright lights of the Premier League and intense competition. In other words, the kind of challenge that can either make or break a career.

The signing had been well researched, with manager Stuart Pearce and goalkeeping coach Tim Flowers spotted at Gay Meadow during the season to scout the talent.

In his first year at City, Hart would be tussling with Swedish international Andreas Isaksson, Club favourite Nicky Weaver and a fellow future Premier League winner in Kasper Schmeichel for the spot between the posts.

For that reason and the fact it was announced just a couple of weeks on from the end of a campaign when we struggled to a 15th place finish, Hart’s arrival didn’t capture many headlines.

A clean sheet in his very first competitive outing, a 0-0 draw against Sheffield United in October 2006, brought more eyes on him but that would prove his only senior appearance that year.

But when Weaver, who was first choice much of that year, moved on in the summer of 2007, it left Hart, Schmeichel and Isaksson.

Sven-Goran Eriksson clearly understood the talent of the two youngsters, giving Schmeichel the gloves in the early weeks of the season while Hart took the first two rounds of the League Cup.

The second of those performances brought a clean sheet against Norwich City and earned him the first-choice slot for the rest of the season.

A strong, muscular build and shock of bright, spiky blonde hair meant Hart made for a pretty striking presence on the pitch, while he immediately carried the confidence of a young man who believed he was right where he was supposed to be.

Ironically, some of his best saves early on came very much in the mould of Kasper’s father, Peter, who spread all of his limbs out like a starfish to smother any advancing attacker.

That season brought a total of 32 appearances across all competitions and saw off the challenge of Isaksson, who moved on to PSV Eindhoven.

The summer of 2008 brought a period of huge upheaval at City, with the change of ownership to HRH Sheikh Mansour and Mark Hughes becoming Hart’s third manager in two years at the Club.

Hart went into the campaign very much as one of Hughes’ first names on the teamsheet and even pbut would again be forced to prove himself against a seasoned professional when Shay Given arrived from Newcastle in January.

By that point, Given had been one of the league’s outstanding shot stoppers for more than a decade and was seen as a shrewd investment for a side looking to climb the league quickly.

Naturally, Given took the gloves for the remainder of the season and Hart suddenly was in a dilemma.

Premier League proven and chasing England recognition, Hart agreed a summer loan to newly promoted Birmingham City for the 2009/10 term.

It couldn’t have gone much better, with Hart named in the PFA Team of the Year and Birmingham’s Player of the Year after 36 appearances as the second-city club finished ninth in their first term back.

That form earned him a place in England’s 2010 World Cup squad, where he went as third choice behind Rob Green and David James.

So with significant experience under his belt since his last City appearance, Hart returned to Manchester for the start of the 2010/11 season with yet another new manager to impress.

Roberto Mancini was overseeing the latest phase of City’s challenge to climb to the top table of the Premier League, with the decision between Hart or Given one of the key talking points before a ball was kicked in anger.

In the end, the decision went the way of the younger man. With much scrutiny upon him and pundits ready to insist Given should have played, Hart instead turned out one of the finest individual goalkeeping performances in Premier League history.

That earned a 0-0 draw at Tottenham Hotspur’s White Hart Lane and him the Man of the Match award. It also all but ended the debate, despite Given’s obviously highly impressive credentials.

Hart totalled 55 appearances in 2010/11 and was just as central a pillar to our FA Cup success at the end of that season as the global superstars Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure and David Silva.

City also qualified for the Champions League for the first time that season since the competition’s rebrand, conceding a joint-league low of 33 goals in 38 matches and earning Hart his first Golden Glove with 18 clean sheets.

And so, with the additions of Sergio Aguero, Samir Nasri, Gael Clichy and new backup goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon, the squad was set for a full tilt at the Premier League title.

Again it was built on the defence, with City conceding just 29 times in 38 games and Hart retaining his Golden Glove award.

While he was so impressive in his control of the box and made saves that no-one else in the division could have at that point, the key image of Hart from that season came as he celebrated Aguero’s iconic title-winning goal with all the unbridled passion of those in the stands.

A first international tournament as England’s first choice goalkeeper followed, where a penalty shootout defeat to eventual runners-up Italy at the quarter-final stage was the result.

Mancini clearly never had any doubt that Hart was the man for him between the sticks and Hart chose to change his City squad number from 25 to 1 to reflect that ahead of our first Premier League season as defending champions.

He again played all 38 games and while we fell away in the defence of our title, the defence remained just as strong.

With 18 clean sheets, he won a third straight Golden Glove and remains one of only two men to do so – with Liverpool’s Pepe Reina.

Manuel Pellegrini’s arrival as manager in the summer of 2013 initially did little to influence Hart’s undisputed role as No.1 goalkeeper until the Chilean made the big call in November to put Pantilimon in his place.

The giant Romanian started seven games in a row, ending in the momentous 6-3 victory over Arsenal.

After that, Hart took his place back and there he remained for a second Premier League title success.

However, Pellegrini’s stronger attacking instincts than Mancini did mean 37 goals conceded – 10 more than the strongest defence in the league, Chelsea.

Domestically was where he won titles and accolades aplenty, but it was in two European games in particular that Hart became a one-man defence.

First up, there was a 1-1 draw with a young, energetic Borussia Dortmund side that we largely owed to the heroics of the goalkeeper.

Then came a night in the Round of 16 against Barcelona against a Lionel Messi at the peak of his powers.

City still lost the leg, but only 2-1 when all the stats would tell you the gulf between the sides was something entirely different.

That summer Hart again went to an international tournament as a Premier League champion, this time to represent England at the World Cup in Brazil.

But it was a difficult one for England, who crashed out at the group stage having come up against Costa Rica, Uruguay and Italy.

The following season again proved the difficulty of defending the Premier League title but while the Blues were eight points back from Chelsea, Hart kept more clean sheets than Petr Cech for his fourth and final Premier League Golden Glove.

2015/16 was the toughest yet since Hart had become first choice, as City fell to fourth in the Premier League.

It was our best run yet in the Champions League though, with Hart playing all 12 games as we reached the semi-finals of the competition.

Another England struggle at a major tournament followed, as the Three Lions were beaten by Iceland in the Round of 16.

However, Hart’s biggest battle was to come when he returned to Manchester under new boss Pep Guardiola, who was making plans to sign Barcelona’s Claudio Bravo with a large emphasis on what the Chilean could do with his feet as much as his hands.

It left Hart in a tricky place as he began the season behind Willy Caballero even before Bravo’s signature.

Instead, as it appeared the England goalkeeper would be set for the exit door, Hart was given one final farewell to the Etihad faithful as captain in the second leg of our Champions League play-off tie with Steaua Bucharest.

With the tie all but over after a 5-0 win in Romania, Hart was the focus for those in the stands throughout the evening, with fans and Hart himself visibly emotional to be parting ways.

After 348 appearances and five major honours, the 29-year-old had worn the City shirt for the final time.

When it comes to goalkeepers, only Ederson, Frank Swift, Bert Trautmann and Joe Corrigan have ever represented our great club more.

A couple of weeks after that emotional night, he elected to a season-long loan deal at Torino before a similar deal with West Ham the following year.

Upon the completion of his contract, he spent time at Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur before recapturing his best form in three successful years at Celtic.

Now a successful pundit whose clear insight into a much misunderstood and specialised role as goalkeeper is educating fans all over the world, Hart continues to set standards in another new field.

And every time he returns to the Etihad, he’ll be warmly greeted by everyone of a City persuasion who remembers him at the peak of his powers.