Joe Hart Lifts the Lid on His Career, Man City Exit & Retiring at the Top

I don't feel like I've ever sacrificed anything. I did it because I loved it. I was getting every opportunity under the sun and I felt like if I was really at it and at my best, the opportunities were endless and then we won. In the league that year, you know, everyone will remember the moment when Pep Guardiola arrived in 2016 and everything changed now that we moved, but that was probably my best moment and the most important moment of my

career

and as a person, when you reflect on your

career

in England. Could you describe it? I had opportunities and I didn't take advantage of them in the tournament.

See you later packing your bags. Let's talk about Celtic, that was a special day, a day that will live with me forever. And they just sat back and let me be me winning quite a bit. a lot every national title you could have lifted how you reflect on the whole trip I loved it I loved it I lived it done hey just a very quick note to say thank you very much to all of our new subscribers and if you haven't subscribed yet why not? It means you're the first to know about new high-performing episodes and it also means we can attract some amazing new guests to the show, so hit subscribe right now and enjoy the show.

This episode is supported by hu, how are you? I'm fine, thank you, it's nice to see you again. You too. No, can I chime in here because I want to make sure that the last time you two saw each other you were having a chance with him? I was, actually it wasn't no, we. We've worked together since then, but did we? Yeah, no, we worked together at BT or whatever it's called now, oh yeah, I remember you came and made a game, yeah, you're right, but go on, Joe, tell us. story I want to use your version of this I can't believe you went here immediately at the beginning you want you want to hear how I feel at that moment okay so I'm in my twenties and I'm excited about life, excited about football full of adrenaline Jake comes to the sport for the who is working on the new BT channel trying to do things a little different I think it's fair to say yes and uh I was watching you present and I felt like you were close to trying to make a joke out of a lot of people who I had a lot of affection for him and a lot of respect and I felt protected we had a player called Martín D mes who was um who came and did a great job he was Manuel Pelini signed and um, he was not playing out of his skin, let's say that some things were happening his way he played in the FA Cup Wigan eh I was on the bench it was the FA Cup I think we lost I think we might have lost the game at EAD and Martin had awarded a penalty and there was a lot going on around to his name at the time, and I think the chairman of Wigan that you were at and interviewed him was Rosler, so if you remember U Rosler. he was the right manager and he played for Man City and he called his son Colin because he loved Colin Bell, that was it, you remember this and I and you're absolutely right.

He was joking about the fact that he had named his son Colin. B. I told him that maybe you would name your next son Martin after Martin of the month beat you the game, so I'm in the gym because I wasn't playing, yeah, I always like to work out after because I prepare for the game like I do. I should on the bench I wasn't playing with a lot of energy and I was looking at him and I heard you say that and uh I was Richard Wright I was the third choice goalie at the time and he saw me I thought I wasn't having that I said I didn't like when people talk about someone and they can't defend themselves because Martin would never do English television uh and he said Joe just let it go.

I said, how can I be sitting here getting mad at Jake and him? From 30 yards away I said I'm going to go and say something and he said please don't go and say something. I told him no. I feel like I have to say something, otherwise it won't sit well with me, so I walked. I waited for you I think we're still live on the air right now and this is the first time I'm realizing this because I'm with Steven Manman, yeah, and we're standing there. You were doing a presentation and Maka goes to hell, what's wrong with him?

And I looked and I turned around and I said, oh, damn, yeah, and you, Joe, were like 20 yards away. I think you were with the press, one of the press officers or something. 20 yards away and I'm not kidding, the stare was fixed and he was staring at it and I said to Steve, I said Steve, I think you've honestly pissed him off because we couldn't tell he was just staring at us, but he was like I wouldn't have blinked my eyes were like that and then we stayed in the air and I don't know if my memory is the same as yours but we went off the air and immediately the press officer comes up to me and says Hi Joe, I would like to talk to you .

Go on, Joe, you take it from there. Yes, so I asked for a word. Obviously, looking back, I shouldn't have been so irritated. Maybe he had something going on with me. Don't know. I know, but I felt like I needed to let you know. I just said Jake, you have a very important role in our world. I think you just came from F1, right, that's right, yes, you have a very important job in our. world and recently I felt like you were almost joking about some things that people are really working hard to do and putting themselves at risk.

I said Martin, for example. I said I don't even think Martin understands or knows what it is. you just said, but I need to defend him and I don't think it's acceptable that you're joking about him having a bad game and I didn't even know what I was saying, but I just said I wanted you to be aware that we don't agree with that. I didn't know why I thought I was speaking for the entire football world, but um, but yeah, to be fair, you took it as your responsibility, obviously you didn't. I want to be offended you weren't on TV to offend anyone but I just wanted you to know that maybe not everyone has a voice but you're right and I thought it was brilliant leadership actually I mean at the time I was just myself CU, do you remember how they took us down and took us to the manager's office in the tunnel?

It is not like this? Yeah they did and I have this memory in my head that we're not different heights but I have this memory of Joe being like four feet taller than me leaning up like wild eyes like bulging muscles and you said exactly that and what I thought What was interesting to me anyway because I was new to football is that you said people there are trying. the best they can and they are human beings who make mistakes and it doesn't help them or anyone else at home to make a joke or make light of it and I think I tried to defend myself and say look, we're trying to make entertainment other than football. , you remember um and we shook hands and left it at that, but we actually wrote about this, you know, in our first book, I told the story of this in our first book, okay, just because I thought it was Really interesting insight into you as a leader and I'm wondering when was the first time you took on that mantle of thinking no, I'm going to stand up for my teammates, my football club, the support that I love.

I don't know, I've always felt like that, I've always felt um and I guess I'm starting to reflect now that I'm not, I'm not a footballer, I'm not a goalkeeper, I do watch. things from a goalie's point of view that's how I see life I'm very protective uh I want to help I want to be the last line of defense if you want and that sounds cliché but that's literally how I live my life and ESP, especially with teammates and starting to enter environments where not everyone has a voice. I have been a foreigner. I've played in a foreign league where things could be happening around me and I could. be completely oblivious as if someone could be absolutely Slaughter to me he sat next to me and I wouldn't know it and Martin was my example, I feel bad mentioning his name because he did exceptionally and we won the league with Martin of the month and he has had a fantastic career, he just happened to be the guy that I didn't feel like he would have a voice um and I felt and I felt horrible and I've always said these things about you and I was 20 years old.

At 20 meters away I was a few walls away, but I said why would I be sitting here saying that? I could go and have a conversation with you and I'd like to think it would calm me down enough to try to understand the point I was at. It's not like you can do whatever you want, you can be whoever you want to be, but I felt it was important for me to say it because 3 weeks later, if I was sitting there watching and another TV presenter was doing that, I thought I had a chance to say something. : Isn't that how life should be?

Isn't that how the relationship should work? Like it was a shining moment for me because it was the start of my life in football and Formula One is probably more entertainment. and it was a big kind of reminder to me that this is different, you know, yeah, well, I don't know, I like, I don't know if I was wrong or if I was right or if it's an entertainment business. but that's how I felt and I felt bad saying something especially about you when I could tell when I could pull you up and say it to your face um and I really meant it in the best way possible even if I was excited and probably looked a little stupid at that point, you know, it's been a staple of my diet for some time and currently I love these Huer vitamins daily, a cough, it tastes very refreshing, each can has 26 vitamins and minerals offering 154. health benefits supported by science reduced tiredness and fatigue normal cognitive function healthy skin hair and nails and vitamin D for immunity this is a vitamin drink that offers everything you could need, so what you are waiting for, buy it now in Tesco stores of all country. or on hu.com and let me know what you think, but I'm interested to know that there are easy decisions and there are hard decisions and the easy decision is maybe not to say anything or if I run into Jake, I'll stop him. and you've very deliberately chosen the difficult decision of I'm going to go and have this conversation, have you always done that or was it something that developed over the course of your career?

I don't know, honestly, I don't know, I don't know. I haven't really had a very deep recognition of how I always behaved in those situations, maybe at school I let things go, I don't know, but since I played soccer and I realized that I have some kind of communication. with people like things can be resolved very quickly uh and I definitely want to give it a chance so if Jake decided to just say shut up I'll do my job however he wants. It would have been good. With that you know I can't tell him what to do, but I just wanted to give him the best chance because I thought it was the best for everyone.

I thought it was best for you, although again I can't say. To do? Well, I think it was absolutely and I thought it was the best thing for me because it kept me from getting angry when I saw a TV host or an expert saying things I didn't agree with, so take us into the mind and world of Joe Har at that time because it's 2014, it was an FA Cup quarter-final, right? And at that point you're the England boy, you're the

city

boy, you won the FA Cup. I've won the Premier League, what was life like for you at that time, it was a lot of fun, it was intense, it was a crash bang wallup, eh, all sorts of things happened, but it was an incredible time to be alive, an incredible time.

For a young guy who loved to play football, I was getting every opportunity under the sun and I felt like I was really in it and at my best, so the opportunities were endless and it was easy, like you were flowing into it. The weather was easy for decisions on the field. You see, it's probably a time in 2013. I'd say until 26 27. I just made progress. I'm talking 11 12 13 14 with the first team 18. training with the first team reserves I turned 15 first team City Loan play dir dir England 21 and I was literally climbing steps on this ladder simply through hard work, believing in what I was doing and not thinking too much and then, 2014, start of that. season I was useless I had this kind of block where I started the season and I didn't feel good I felt like I was doubting myself having never done that professionally always even even in a mistake like anything I do I'll just keep playing.

Flo was there and it's interesting that you said Flo because that's something that's important to me. I was nervous at the beginning of the season. In fact, Manuel Pelligrini removed me from the team at the beginning of his career. He had a new goalkeeping coach. I came in, we were kind of clashing and they kicked me off the team, which was the first time in my life in my career that I was kicked off a team and it was 100 million percent the right thing to do and obviously I stormed into the office and you know why you did this? in my head.

I'm going to thank God you did this. This is the right time to make this excellent on your part because it's not easy like you said you just gave the list of who it was for and what it was for and what it was for Manchester City uh and he said Joe you just need a time out. , you're not right, he said: I don't know you well enough, but I know enough to know that you are not playing to your potential right now and that you are hurting the team,Did you try to find those commonalities with him on a personal level? yes, 100% that's how I had the same conversations, we actually went deeper it's a shame, I know, I know it's important, it's an important thing to talk about, it's a shame, it's such a vital part of my story because of a 21 or 22 year history.

He's, it's a month, yeah, and we moved, yeah, and we fixed it wasn't ideal and here we are now. I guess the reason it's so important to people is that this was the beginning of the Man City that we see today and I guess. I wonder what it was like for you after that time seeing the success that came thinking, man, I was there and we were pretty successful, yeah, we did well for a team that hadn't necessarily won in a while, we were part of the first team in win the FA Cup you know we didn't just win one Premier League we won two we were winning cars whatever the League Cup was called at the time so it didn't hurt too much um and that wasn't my team did the rest so that I only supported.

I love that club. I love everything about the club. I love people. They welcomed me when I was 19 years old. The Premier League was everything to me. You know the club was doing its best. staying in the league at that time was amazing, some amazing people that are still there now, um, but what comes with great power and changes, not many people survive and the ones that survived are literally some of the best players. the world has played this game and I'm fine but I'm not that guy, you were very good, how do you reflect on your time at Man City?

I mean, if we think about the most famous moments in a Man City shirt. I guess the arms are Loft running in circles like a madman when you won the Premier League it's a pretty big moment, it's a great moment, but there's a lot more, there's a lot more moments that I loved, some previous highs and lows. that you also know that I was doing well in the reign of taxin Catra with Casper with Andreas Isaacson Sven enters Mark Hughes and wants another goalkeeper to go to Birmingham while I am in Birmingham manini enters and is not happy with Shay So he brings me back lap, yes, many sliding and door moments, but many brilliant moments.

I love playing away from home for the first time in the Europa League. I remember playing in the Pharaoh Islands in a Europa League qualifier and winning a penalty shoot-out. FC Midgeland playing with Richard Dunn uh just moments like that and don't get me wrong, the Premier League moment is exceptional, but there's a lot more, a lot more, the day to day life, the relationships, the move from Carrington to the new training. ground, the relationships with the fans, the away games, the FA Cup being won for the first time, when you know the Manchester United semi-final, like these moments, they just do everything for me and they really make me happy and the match Manchester City Spurs, yes, as I believe. of that as one of the pivotal moments in your career, you just know you talked at the beginning about this steady upward trajectory and that felt like a real validation of the journey you had been on, what are your memories of that day? um, then Roberto came in and asked me to come back to Manchester City.

I was on loan at Birmingham, where I was on loan at Birmingham and I was trying to leave as if Manchester City didn't want me anymore. Not Mark Hughes. He loved me, he had given Shay as a goalkeeper, a guy, an incredible player in the Premier League and then the beautiful world of football changes. Manini enters. I don't think he and Shay got along and he asked me to come back for preseason. to which I said: absolutely no chance, no way you didn't want me, I'm done um and he said please just come back and I'll give you a fair chance I'll give you a fair chance I want I want to put you against Shay, so we did, we did preseason, we shared it and then, the two Italian coaches that I worked with, they were both on a flipc

hart

an hour and a half before the game, there was no, there was no, you. playing you may not be playing it was difficult mentally just it is what it is it is what it is yes I'm fine with that it's whatever sometimes you name the other side of the flipc

hart

sometimes it's not but that but at least It's consistent, flipped, I'm playing against Tottenham, obviously, I actually got on really well with Shay, I still love the GU of pieces and we both understood that we were both looking for an amazing place and we did everything we could, there was certainly no backstabbing from me part, not him, what a brilliant person, eh, he came in and did the same thing to me, he came in and took my place in the previous one in January February and then I played and then it all came Jermaine was in front crouched was in front he was a good Tottenham team we were poor we had a lot of new signings and they just darted through the middle of us and I was saving everything like a school kid in a school yard and halfway through Once I remember, I literally saw a clip of Shay laughing like it was almost a joke, it was like it was a way to establish myself in the team with a good performance and there was one game where literally everything hit me.

He was doing well, we went with a zero, zero and it was an incredible moment for me and an incredible game at the perfect time. Hey guys, do you want 350 of the latest generation Eight Sleep Pod 4 Ultra? It is an aggregate pod. to your existing mattress is proven to give you up to 1 hour more quality sleep each night it is used by athletes it is used by industry titans even I use it and there is nothing like it on the market Heats, cools, adjusts and uses sensors to perform a Track your sleep with 99% tracking accuracy. Sleeping in the Pod for just one week can improve your cardiovascular health for up to 12 weeks of strength training, so to get 350 of the eight next-gen sleep pods for Ultra, simply go to 8sleep. com HPP, that's eight sleeps.com HPP I'm interested, although you said that lovely line about yourself earlier, since you took me in when I was a 19 year old kid, you moved from Shury, you came to Manchester, what are the times when Think about where you felt like you really belonged in a club where you were welcomed.

You know Casper Schichel, who had been on loan and I had played against him the year before at Berry? Obviously, I knew Casper very well as a player. The goalie was even more aware of Pete SCH Michel, who had been at the game, meow, to watch that game and it was an absolutely painful moment for me to meet the great man, uh, and I obviously didn't remember him. I remember thinking Casper is good, really good. and they had David James at the time, Casper Nikki Weaver and then I was like, where am I? I didn't care where I fit.

I had the conversations and it was like look, you'll get in, maybe you'll train, we'll get there. I'm used to you, maybe we can take you to another level in terms of a league. A loan or and then I walked in and all kinds of stories about Casper being pretty difficult to deal with, so I thought, how is this going to work? he found out the guy he met, he might have been sizing me up, but he met me at Carrington, uh, opening the doors, welcomed me to the club and said look, is there anything you need or if you need help.

I'm here and I thought what a moment like I didn't see it coming, an amazing moment and um yeah friends since Rivals but friends and then I had Micah, then I had naam, I had a lot of the young Lads, I had R Richard Dunn , I had Nikki Weaver, Les Chapman, don' I don't know if you know Chappie Kitman um just a very warm CLA Marsden Club, people who are still there now just a really very warm Club who knew how to deal with someone who was, you know , quite new. I was from a small town. away from my family and I immediately felt welcome.

I would like to talk at this moment also about England because I think there is a sense of belonging as a footballer there is more sense of belonging as a footballer in the first division, but I think where it becomes really challenging is as an international like that is the elite of the elite. I remember in your Celtic game you spoke afterwards that there's still a big part of you that's just a kid growing up in Shrewsbury when you played. For England, how did imposter syndrome manifest itself there? Was there room to think about the boy growing up and dreaming of playing for his country?

So I'm just a happy young man from Shrewsbury who grew up playing football, cricket, tennis, whatever. You name it, I played it and I didn't play it for nothing. I didn't play football for any reason other than I loved it, I loved it, and I'm also a high-level goalkeeper who is in goal for some serious teams have some very important people, they look back and think, don't worry, Joe has taken care of it and I love it, I love that too and I'm proud of those two people, very far apart but together, I like it. I like how they work and in fact I was saying there aren't many games, well Champions League sometimes to start with but every England game as soon as the referee BW blows the whistle for the game to start I always remember just close your eyes.

I smiled and then he disappeared, but I was that guy. I remember thinking every time I just thought this is perfect and then BOS left. I'm in the goal. I'm moving. I do not care anything about that. I couldn't care less, I'm in goal and I want to work, but I think it's, I think you, how, how, how can you not enjoy doing that, what's the point and if I asked you at that moment, you know when absolutely. on your bomb performing for England winning trophies playing in the Premier League as if I had asked you when you were much younger what high performance is what would you have said then squeezing every ounce of yourself every day being on the edge, taking it to the limit, never accept anything less than all you have, want more, save every shot, feeling, no, it's not even a high performance feeling, it's not a high feeling, it's an attitude, um, that's what I would have said.

It probably would have been a long list and with the man who sits in front of us today talking about how I have two sides, I am more in touch with my two sides than ever, you are no longer a professional footballer if I say For you now, what is the high performance? I would certainly take a breath, I would say it's assess the level, assess your levels, what are your levels, what is the highest possible level that you can reach, do the best you can to stay at that level, whatever you can, um, The way I've looked at it, especially football recently, was to put myself in the best position possible, train, ask the right questions, get all the information, blow the whistle, however it plays out, it plays out, but it won't be by default. of preparation.

I think one thing that stays with me constantly is that perfection is impossible that we all know that no one is perfect but I don't think you have to accept that don't accept that you can still look for it there is nothing wrong with looking for something that isn't there and you can still look for it. strive for it, but give yourself a little space and a little time to breathe, to really evaluate where you are at, so at this point, what the hard work was like for you, it just seemed like working it. I didn't feel any other way.

I'm not a man who will use the word sacrifice lightly CU I No, I don't feel like I've ever sacrificed anything. I did it because I loved it. I do it because I love it I do it because I want to do it I'm here today because I want to be here I'm not I haven't had anything sacrificed I want to be here I want to be a part of these conversations um I want to find out you know, like that first conversation with Jamie, like talking to you himself and with Daman, having these conversations. I'll figure things out for me, um and then I might not.

I may have more questions, but going back to what you said, what is hard work. It seems like I wouldn't know what any other job is like, so it's not hard work for me, but it's not me saying it's easy, it's me saying it's the only way I like to do things. Can I take you back to the example you used? about closing your eyes when an England match starts and simply having a moment of gratitude and appreciation, and because that contrasts with the popular image that you are often considered overly excited when playing for England, you know you've done it.

I have seen the images of you. I'm sure I've seen Tunnel in tunnels. I have never seen myself in the field. I have never seen myself in the field watching. I qualify. I have seen myself in tunnels where I thought of him. He seems a little wild, and I'm also interested in those two sides, the guy who seems wild in the tunnel, as opposed to the guy who takes a moment to appreciate how far you've come, but he's wild, that guy. It's wild and that's part of my skill set, it's part of why I can get there.

I wouldn't say I'm particularly blessed. I'm talented, but I'm not. I'm not that good. I'm having an amazing spring. I'm not faster than many people. My left foot is fine. My right foot is pretty good, but I've danced with the best. And I felt quite comfortable. So, my wild side, the animated side. I don't think so, I don't regret it at all, yeah, it's just part of me because I knew that I knew that when it was necessary, if you looked at me on the field, I'm not, I've never been a Defenders Berer I've always been a Job with my teammate I've always always been looking to save you I'd like to think that if I made a rescue or threw one you wouldn't be able to say it because I'm completelythe same, but yes, through the tunnel, yes, the atmosphere affected me, but saying it affected me.

It doesn't mean that it hurt me, it affected me, it made me feel good, it made me feel excited, it made me feel excited. I knew I was always second in line, so I would have a captain in front of me and I always thought I had people behind me, that if they see this huge frame, someone who is not afraid, if he needs to explode right now, if he is not afraid to lean in and do it for them, because that's what I need. Did I feel like I was a Defender, so the little Strikers, the guys that are focused on the game, The Big Joe, Joe will take care of it, no problem, I'll rip people off, no, no, no, no , no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no , no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no , no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, and I felt like that's what I loved to be and what I needed to be, whether it's right or wrong, as we talked about earlier in our conversation, I don't know, but that's what brought out the best in me and, as I say, with the talent that I have, I certainly got it.

My best, but I don't think we're looking for what's right or wrong because I don't think the answer is there. It's what's right for you and I'm interested in how you got there. state of high excitement where you are the defender of the team you are the guy that everyone can trust and you do it in that controlled way that when the whistle blows I say I'm going to deliver never stopped never stopped don Don't get me wrong, I wasn't sitting in home, you know, stretching and working on strategy, but as I was all the time, I liked to think that if I could hold on, I could put on a pair of gloves with a 20-minute warm-up with a goalkeeping coach that I I wanted to work and two doormen or a doorman I trusted.

I would feel good and that's probably the biggest thing that's going to hit me in two months. In two years, I don't know, but that's how I've lived since I was a kid and I don't need to live like that anymore, so it'll be interesting to know what that is, um, that constant stay that I've never been, I've never been more than two weeks, I don't think I've been on a treatment table more than eight days, so I've always been fighting and fighting. in goals, saves, blocks, arguments, laughter, um, so it was a constant state, but always when I was in goal in a match I knew that I had to be at peace with what was happening and that was how I played my football, ​​but not through a conscious decision, it was because I knew that was what worked for me before we finished the conversation about England, we are about to enter a major tournament and they will see it for the first time in a long time.

Being out of professional football, how does it feel to talk about the burden of wearing the England shirt? You know, we spoke to Danny Ciani on this podcast who said that every time he watches England he sees restrictive and tight players because he thinks they're just thinking about the game too much because they know what's coming with it, how can we all help ease the burden? What does it mean to wear that shirt or maybe we shouldn't? I didn't feel that way personally, right, I feel like there was, there was, there was a lot of noise and rightly so there's a lot of opinion and rightly so um and there are a lot of theories when it doesn't go well that the shirt is too heavy but within a camp where it's always I have been him and I have been a part of there are no such conversations, it is a conversation about what we are going to do, how we are going to play tactically, who the rival is, like when you play against Lincoln City in a pre-season friendly, you seek to beat them, you seek win, I can only talk. for me, but I didn't have the badge or the expectation didn't weigh on me.

I knew it was there and it felt like it was there and it felt like it was right because why not? Why wouldn't you reach for it? Because I am part of teams where the expectation is to win and we have won and I have not been. I haven't been part of a team that isn't expected to win and win, so I don't know what that feels like either, but I know what it feels like to be part of a team that is expected to win and then that team wins and I've said that I've been a part of teams that are expected to win and don't, but that comes with The territory of being a good team comes with the territory of being a top team that can reach levels, so I wouldn't ask for it to be taken away because I feel like a top-level player and anyone I've been with has done it.

There's just been too much focus on what they're doing in terms of a football match rather than worrying about whether the people watching are happy or not and when you reflect on your career in England, how would you describe it? Ask two different people. the right one, incredibly proud, done, amazing memories, things that will never be taken away from me, made the people closest to me very happy, my

city

, incredibly proud and then I asked another guy and I did nothing, nothing, nothing, I had opportunities and I didn't do it. don't take them sad not angry but to be frank it didn't do anything with the time I had to wear the shirt because we didn't win because other teams scored more goals than us and I let goals in and we didn't score without I promise you, I'm not being rude of that way, no, no, I don't think you are, but I'm interested to know that you're obviously asking why we didn't win, why I did.

I don't think we would cross the line, yeah, I'm interested in someone who's been in that environment, why don't you feel like given the talent that was there, you know it's focused on going and acting like what, why don't we win? I personally fell every time we went out in tournaments. We just fell on the wrong side of tight games. I can literally, I can go into those games right now head first and, you know, lose in the penalty shootout against Italy, then we went. in the close match of the 2014 World Cup with Italy we lost 2-1 in the close match with Uruguay we lost 21 in the tournament until then packing up, you know, a good Italy team, good Europe, not great, but Well, then we went to 2016.

We started our journey in the group. We play against Iceland. It wasn't a good performance. He hit his head against a brick wall at the tournament. Not for lack of trying. Not for lack of effort. Not for lack of quality. You just fall on the wrong side of games and that's no excuse. that's my only reason I can give you it wasn't because I felt expectations it wasn't because of a lack of will it was just falling on the wrong side of the games and when you're in tournaments that happen every two years, that are world class, if you get there to the semi-finals and you fall on the wrong side of a game, then fair enough, but the facts fall on the wrong side of any of the games, you left and I did. when I was part of that team and that was your last England tournament in 2016, yeah, how do you reflect on that tournament?

I don't think I played well, I don't think I played well, I gave up a bad goal against Wales, I think I played, make no mistake, 90%, 95% of my game was good, it was rock solid and I let in a bad goal against Iceland, which in a 2-1 loss and a loss against a team we should beat, is important. I played a big role in a game we lost, but I still feel pretty comfortable with how I played, how I prepared, like I said, what can I do now? It wasn't for lack of effort, put it that way, because to prepare myself.

For this interview I went and watched a bunch of those 2016 games because I think in retrospect I remember the reviews. In fact, I sent a message. You know, John rdy, friend of mine and fellow goalie. I said: Today I'm chatting with Joe Hart. What would you do? I love hearing that he said: I can't believe people used the incident before the Iceland game to effectively end his England career. I remember him being super excited in the tunnel that took us to Iceland. He'll admit it wasn't a great moment, but people suggest it was because he was too enthusiastic, it's completely ridiculous, that's from a fellow goalkeeper, yes you agree that people are free to say what they want, and look, that narrative will never be good if you do, if you lose a game.

I could have stayed there asleep, silent, he's not awake, he wasn't up for playing. He could have chewed my gum slowly. Not being ready for the game. I chewed it too quickly. I admit it. He probably was. I was excited. He was ready, but he was alone. was ready to win a tournament, that's what he was ready to do and that's what he's saying and I think what's really interesting is that I remember the criticism that came out around 2016, so going back and watching these games I expected to see howling and rickets and problems and I thought, wait, there were a couple of moments where even you would say I could have done a little better, but even they weren't and it made me think about how you learn to deal with what you often It feels like really unfair. scrutiny um because you talked about how an England player feels or would feel and I'm among the best in terms of players in terms of coaches.

Over the years I have become friends with serious football people and their opinion is important to me my family's opinions are important to me I'm not saying it's not important for someone to say I was too excited for the game , but I understand that it is a frivolous comment. I understand that it is a comment from someone who knows nothing. about me you don't know anything about how I work today you don't know anything about the previous one however hundreds of appearances I made with medals around my neck I was in exactly the same mode exactly in the same mode exactly the same person but I just don't I don't.

I do, so who, how can you please everyone when if you do you would make mistakes on such a high scale as if it were a high profile game, especially Iceland, and I made a mistake, so the cool people must say what ? They have to say they need to feel better because England are out of the tournament and I can't help it. I was one of the factors why we left that tournament, but that doesn't crush me. You don't destroy me, I know that for sure. I was able to do that in my last game. I could have done that in my last game.

I left, oh Joe, what a great race. How cool are you? Do you know how I feel at Celtic? I could have put one in an old D Derby signature exactly the same as what I did there and potentially that would have changed the narrative of my career for now for certain people, but for me I'm not, I'm going out, I'm doing the best I can. I can, I'm putting everything on the line. I get picked by people who play really important roles, they're not just some guy off the street, they're being hired to pick the best players in England, the best goalkeeper in England, the best Celtic player, the best Manchester City player, so if these guys believe in me, my advocates believe in me, my people at home, who see how I work every day, are friendly. so we all have to be okay because this happens from time to time, so when you think about that, I mean it very powerfully describes Joe, the idea of ​​being a member of a tribe and your tribe is your family and the professionals that value .

What do you contribute to them? Can you remember any feedback or a bit of training that you ever received from someone within those tribes that really made you sit up and pay attention? Probably the most resounding one was with Jamie even though he's definitely a part of it. from my tribe and it was when he was talking about I can't do this I can't do that this doesn't feel good he just said do you know how the goal is going and I said yes and then he smiled? Was that what you needed? Well, yeah, I'm probably going to look, there probably should be something more sensational in there, but I just knew how to reach my level the best I could um and that was probably to stay.

At My Own Lane, in terms of trying to get the best out of myself, it was the best way to integrate with a group and work with a team and often what I would ask people when I saw if they were having a little doubt about themselves or they need a little bit of reassurance and can I ask you about the fact that when you're a goalkeeper you can do something that someone in midfield can do and even notice because it happens in midfield if you do it? if the ball slides under your foot it's a goal, yes, if the ball slides under a striker's foot four or five times a game, it can happen and no one sees it, how are you comfortable with the fact that there is much more at stake for goalkeeper, but also what are the tips that you suggest to our audience for the times when something bad hits you, like how to recover from that in the future and recover quickly, so the way I see it, I I signed up to be a goalkeeper.

I signed, I signed on the dotted line as a person, as a player, so the stakes are higher, it's just my bets, they just like it, there's no point in me worrying if a midfielder gets away with a mistake, there's no point, I worry about worrying if a striker misses a chance or if I make a mistake and it goes into the goal or if often if you don't make a mistake it's still perceived as your fault, but I signed up to be a goalkeeper so no I don't see it as a lot at stake, I see it just as what I'm at stake and the life I live, the life I'm a part of and as much as I don't want to, I want all the good sides ofmoment because I don't know.

What I'm going to miss because right now I'm not missing anything because I'm still feeling it so I honestly can't answer the question, but you have the reason I make a distinction between them is because you like it when You talk about being in the locker room, being on the field and being in the business of football. You light up very palpably when you talk about the business of football. There's almost like a coldness about you, "this is how it is, I have to move on, this is how." And I really believe that and I really believe that you don't get the highs and you don't get the T and you don't get that without it being that business, it's that business for a reason and it's hard to do well. in it for that reason, so no, I don't feel any coldness towards this, like this isn't, this isn't a game, this isn't a this, it's not something you sign up for and pay your subscribers for.

It's a business, it's a big business with a lot at stake, a lot of money at stake, a lot of business at stake, so I think you have to respect that and I do, I really do, but I think the reason I stay cold It's because that requires a cold attitude, of course, because if you get excited, you're done, yes, but I'm interested that you seem to have protected that shb kid who loved jumping at football brilliantly well, as you mentioned. the example of Jamie saying: you know what it's like to play goal so you just did it, how did you protect that kid?

Just me, you know you played football because you loved that hard, cold business because I never wanted anything, I never wanted anything from the business. You know what I mean, obviously I took and at that point, you know, in the contract negotiations, I was fully aware of what I felt I was worth and I, but I didn't want any of that if you, if you had asked me. When I was 10 or 12, whatever I wanted, I probably would have told them about the weekend game that I'm looking forward to. I never made statements. I didn't feel like I didn't want to.

I didn't look at the England players and think. I want to be one of them, I thought about the game in England and I see it or when I saw David Seaman and Pach Michael growing up, I didn't think I wanted to be them, I just thought, look how, look at them, I just love them. so they were so I didn't want anything from the game so I don't feel like I had to protect myself because they weren't stopping me from doing anything I wanted. I was always able to play football, you know, sometimes in front of stadiums or sometimes on goal. closed, but they never stopped me from playing football before moving on to our quick questions.

I think the last thing is how you feel when it's given to you. This opportunity, you know, riding in the Buster Rosbury team at 15 playing in the Premier League at an incredibly young age representing your country playing against some of the best footballers the world has ever seen winning almost every national title you could have gotten up. reflect on the whole trip I loved it I absolutely loved it I loved it I lived everything well quick questions and you have seen so many good and bad cultures you have worked with so many incredible people, positive and negative, what are the three, right? - Negotiable behaviors that you have actually learned and used during your career, hard work, honesty and understanding, you faced Lion Messi on a penalty and saved him, which was not an important save at the time because it kept us in the tie. but I didn't see it like anyone else, he was an opponent and he wanted to stop the penalty from him, so yeah, I have a pretty cold view.

Now I can sit here and smile, but I know I lost that match and that overall match, so it's good to have it, but it didn't mean anything. Wasn't it great that Leon Messi called you a phenomenon? I look at that and I think he went out of his way to say "Or was it?" he asked how the opponent's goalie performed today and I probably don't speak Spanish, but I imagine he was probably asked how that opponent's goalie performed and rightfully so. , was. That day, but I don't think he was calling me Joe, a freak, what's the best advice you've ever been given?

Breathing is important, um and also doing things for what you feel is the right reason. who was the toughest striker you've faced and why in games games are what they are people have good games bad games and situations but I think it's easier to give this answer from people I've worked closely, um and Sergio and Harry. As for the forwards, they are two of the smartest I have ever played with because as a goalkeeper you have to give something to someone. The closer you get to the goal, there are opportunities to score, there are no two ways about it, and the closer you get to the goal, the ones you had to give up, they took the three best coaches you played for in your career and why it's hard to respond, it's very hard to respond to Gary Peters because he believed in me in a really difficult situation, he put a 17-18 year old in a really important situation. environment I was down in the league he and he believed that I was the answer to help the local team local team a lot of young people passing by he believed in me uh and then I probably loved how he accepted me and gave me freedom and also opened the doors for me eyes on football, oh how it constantly evolves and I was allowed to be a part of that and I enjoyed it.

It's difficult because it seems like you're excluding people, but I can only talk about recent times, how Brendan I handled what he was trying to do and how he was trying to communicate, leaving football and how I realized that when we really understood what what he was asking us to do, how we played and how the club breathed and really pushed. What advice would you give to a 14 year old Joe Hart going to shb? He wouldn't tell her anything because I wouldn't like him. I think you have to learn. I think you have. to make mistakes I think you have to have instincts and emotions so I wouldn't want to cloud it I wouldn't want to cloud it uh just tell him to go and do what he thinks he should do and the final question for the people who have listened to this incredible conversation, um, and this It's not about football, it's about life, what would you like to leave ringing in their ears?

Your one golden rule for living a high performance life, get as comfortable as possible with it and move on Joe thank you very much thank you