Joe Hart

Charles Joseph John "Joe" Hart (born 19 April 1987) is an English professional footballer who plays forManchester City and the England national team as a goalkeeper.

He began his career at his hometown club Shrewsbury Town in the Conference and League Two. In 2006, he moved to top-flight Manchester City, having attracted the attention of several Premier League teams. He spent time on loan at Tranmere Rovers and Blackpool in his first season, before spending the 2009–10 season at Birmingham City. Hart was nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year and was voted as thePremier League goalkeeper of the 2009–10 season in recognition of his performances at Birmingham. 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. Hart replicated this feat in the 2011–12 season and was a key player during City's title-winning campaign. He won the Golden Glove for the third year in a row in the following season, and earned a second Premier League title in 2014. A former regular for England at Under-21 level, Hart made his senior international debut in June 2008, and has been recognised as England's first-choice goalkeeper since 2010. He has gained over 45 caps and was selected in England's squads for two World Cups and Euro 2012.

Early life
Hart was born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, to Charles and Louise Hart, and attended Oxon Primary School, followed by Meole Brace School in Shrewsbury, where he was Head Boy in his final year. As a schoolboy, he was an equally competent cricketer and briefly played for Shrewsbury CC in the Birmingham and District Premier League and also spent two years inWorcestershire's youth squads, playing alongside England cricketer Steven Davies.

Club career
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.

In May 2006, it was reported City were to pay an initial £600,000 fee for Hart, rising to £1.5 million if undisclosed clauses were achieved. John Wardle, then City-chairman later revealed in 2012 that the transfer fee was actually £100,000. Hart was recommended to City hierarchy by the club's goalkeeping coach Tim Flowers who believed Hart had great potential. Hart made his debut for City on 14 October 2006 after injuries ruled out Andreas Isaksson and Nicky Weaver for thePremier League match against Sheffield United. He kept a clean sheet in the match, which finished goalless.

Loans to Tranmere Rovers and Blackpool
Hart spent 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. Blackpool won all five games in which Hart appeared, including a 6–3 win atSwansea 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 Eriksson, named Hart as Manchester City's number 1 ahead of Andreas Isaksson. After his performance against Newcastle United, Eriksson named 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 and 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.

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 Villa on 23 June 2009, paving the way for Hart to leave. 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 some errors which cost Birmingham City 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: againstChelsea 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.

Return to Manchester City

After a successful spell at Birmingham City, he earned a place in the England squad for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Manchester City manager, Roberto Mancini was unsure over the future of Hart and despatched his goalkeeping coach, Massimo Battara to watch over him during his loan spell at Birmingham City. Battara reported that Hart was a "very good goalkeeper, with very high physical and technical abilities" and advise that he kept Hart in his plans for the years ahead. One of the major pre-season debates was whether Hart would start ahead of the experienced Shay Given after his return to City following an impressive loan spell with Birmingham City.
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. Hart also kept a clean sheet in Manchester City's 3–0 victory overLiverpool, 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 denyDimitar Berbatov the opening goal. The match ended 1–0 to City, thanks to a goal scored by Yaya Touré. 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 City 1–0 with another goal from Yaya Touré.
Hart was awarded the Premier League Golden Glove award for the most number of clean sheets in the 2010–11 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 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 Given departed City for Aston Villa in July 2011. On 8 August 2011, he signed a new contract until 2016. Hart won the Golden Glove award for the second year running in 2011–12, and helped City to win their first Premier League title, and first top-flight title for 44 years, which they clinched on the final day of the season by beating Queens Park Rangers 3–2.

Hart's form dipped in the 2012–13 Premier League season, although he still won the Golden Glove award for keeping most clean sheets despite rivals Manchester United regaining their title as revenge for the previous season last day title win by goal difference, he featured in the FA Cup Final against Wigan Athletic but let in a 90th minute header by Ben Watson which proved to be a shock win for Wigan. His form continued to dip in the 2013–14 Premier League season and following conceding a goal to Fernando Torres in the 90th minute which City lost 2-1 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 27 October 2013, he was replaced by second choice goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon for a home match against Norwich City in a game which City won 7-0. Exactly a month later, Hart returned to the Manchester City team for a UEFA Champions Leaguegroup match against Viktoria Plzeň.
On 24 February 2015, Hart saved a penalty kick from four time FIFA Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi in a UEFA Champions League round of 16 fixture against FC Barcelona. After the return leg of the same tie Messi described Hart as a "phenomenon" after a performance where he produced a record breaking 10 saves during the match.

International career

Having been a regular in the England Under-21 squad, Hart was called up by Fabio Capello to the senior England team for the friendly matches against the United States and Trinidad and Tobago. An unused substitute against the United States, he made his debut against Trinidad and Tobago on 1 June 2008 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain. He came on at half time forDavid 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 fromPhil 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 against Bulgaria at Wembley, making three crucial saves, one of which he palmed away and set up a counterattack for an England goal. He won another two caps in friendlies 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.
In February 2012, after the position was stripped from John Terry, some players and punditsbacked Hart for England captaincy citing his strong performances and positive image.
On 16 May 2012, new England manager Roy Hodgson named Hart in his UEFA Euro 2012 squad. He played in England's second warm up friendly against Belgium at Wembley keeping a clean sheet as England won 1–0. In the European Championships he played a key role in England getting to the quarter-finals. His confident demeanour was refreshing and made the most saves of any goalkeeper in the tournament with nineteen. However, Hart played a key role in England's quarter final defeat to Italy, when he was beaten by Andrea Pirlo'spanenka shot in the penalty shootout. Pirlo had stated that Hart's antics led to him thinking that "he had to get off his high horse", and subsequently demoralised the English team.

On 6 February 2013, Hart saved a penalty kick and the subsequent follow-up shot from Ronaldinho in a friendly match against Brazil at Wembley Stadium. This double save proved to be crucial in helping England win the match 2–1, and thereby securing their first win over Brazil for 23 years.
Hart was selected for his second World Cup in 2014. He made his tournament debut in England's first group match, a 1–2 defeat to Italy in Manaus, and also played in the next match, a loss by the same scoreline toUruguay. With England not likely to advance, Hodgson made changes for England's last game against Costa Rica, with Ben Foster playing in goal instead.
On the 12th October 2014, Hart was selected as England's outstanding player against Estonia for the second consecutive game, procuring an impressive 80% of the votes and turning in a man of the match performance as England saw off the Baltic nation 1-0. The previous honour was awarded for Hart's performance against San Marino, against whom he made a string of important touches.


source: http://en.wikipedia.org/