Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart has dismissed ‘Twit-ics’ such as Gary Lineker – urging them to keep ‘tweeting from their sofas’ while England do their bit on the field.
Hart earned the plaudits in the 2-2 draw against Brazil at the newly-reopened Maracana Stadium, which put a positive spin on a difficult week.
Despite Lineker attacking England boss Roy Hodgson for taking the team ‘back to the dark ages’ against the Republic of Ireland, Hart is beating away the criticism.
“We’re not interested in stuff like that,” Hart said. “They can tweet all they want from their sofas – we are out here doing it.
“It is hard work and we are enjoying it. No one in the squad is interested and they can tweet all they want.”
England looked second best in the first-half against Brazil, but Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney almost earned victory with second-half strikes.
Paulinho scored an 82nd-minute equaliser for the Selecao to deny the Three Lions, but Hart believes the future is bright after a resolute performance.
“It was pretty relentless in the first half, but we did what we usually do when our backs are against the wall – we fight and never give in,” Hart added.
“I would like to think English footballers fight until the end, particularly for all the fans who came out here.
“We got a result and it’s right up there with the best I have achieved.”
However, the confidence-boosting result will be meaningless if England fail to book another flight to Brazil for next year’s World Cup.
England may be facing a five-point deficit against Montenegro if the Group H qualification group leaders beat Ukraine on Friday.
Hodgson’s squad will have two games in-hand by the time they encounter Moldova and Ukraine in September, but Hart acknowledges the big task ahead.
“I would love to be back in Brazil next year but we have a long, hard road ahead of us and we will put everything we can into it,” the shot-stopper explained.
“We have to take the positives though. We beat Spain and Brazil at home in friendlies.
“No one has taken us apart – we just need to get over the finish line.
“We dug in when we needed to and we have to repeat that.”
Picture courtesy of Football UA, with thanks.
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