Joe Hart has disclosed details of the conversation with Pep Guardiola which virtually ended his Man City career.
Prior to Guardiola becoming manager in the summer of 2016, Hart - who won two Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and a League Cup with Man City - was first choice goalkeeper at the club.
After Guardiola joined, he dropped down the pecking order behind Claudio Bravo and Willy Caballero. Hart spent the 2016/17 season on load at Torino and the following one at West Ham before joining Burnley in a permanent move in the summer of 2018.
"I wanted to get in the door and have this conversation," Hart told the In The Stiffs podcast about Guardiola.
"He was very knowledgeable on my background, very knowledgeable on what we did, how I played football, it was a two-hour conversation that kind of ended with him saying 'I can't see this working'.
'The people of Man City will forever be in my heart'
"I said 'I don't agree with you'. He said 'I'll be the first person to be proved wrong but what I see in you isn't what I want from my goalkeeper'.
"I was like 'It's only fair I be given the opportunity'. He said 'Of course you'll be given the opportunity, but...'. As soon as there are any buts at the end you know there's a decision.
"I wanted the opportunity to be coached by one of the best at it. Of course I didn't know how to do it, why would I know how to do something that I'd never been asked to do or taught to do?
"I suppose he was right, I couldn't do it, he couldn't just drop me into a team to play like he wanted to at that moment in time.
"It was taken away from me, but so what? I'm not bigger than anyone and if that's my path then that's my path. The people of Manchester City will forever be in my heart, I'll forever be grateful for that, but the team, the hierarchy, they're businessmen."
S1E13 Launches 29/3, the second part of our chat with Joe Hart, this episode has stories from @ManCity, @SpursOfficial, @BurnleyOfficial, @CelticFC and more, get the full episode from https://t.co/cgE084FbJr or subscribe on your favourite podcast directory #inthestiffs pic.twitter.com/mEj7ylpOIl
— InTheStiffs (@InTheStiffs) March 28, 2022
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