One look at Joe Hart’s beaming face onboard the Manchester City bus last night and you begin to wonder… maybe, just maybe the England goalkeeper and co could pull off a shock in Brazil and get their own parade.
Hart looked as happy as Larry with his City teammates around him basking in their Premier League glory and since being dropped by Manuel Pellegrini in November has slotted back into the first 11 seamlessly.
Should he produce similar displays for England this summer in Brazil, forming the bedrock of a solid defence as Roy Hodgson’s swarm of buzzing midfielders lay siege to the opposition goal, who knows what Hart could help his country achieve.
It’s been a long time in the making for the 27-year-old, despite his relatively young age.
Signed by Stuart Pearce from Shrewsbury Town in 2006 for an initial fee of £600,000, Hart spent his early City years out on loan at Tranmere Rovers and Blackpool, helping save the latter from relegation.
Hart broke into the City first-team aged 22 under former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, having already made his debut the previous season.
City fans were surprised to see Hart sent out on loan to Birmingham City in 2009/10 after his first-team opportunities were restricted by the arrival of Shay Given in January 2009.
However, Hart’s performances at St Andrews not only saved Birmingham from relegation but earned him a first-team berth ahead at the Etihad Stadium for the next campaign under Roberto Mancini.
His first appearance back at the club against Tottenham Hotspur is rated as possibly his best performance in a City shirt, in which Hart was man-of-the-match, and ultimately convinced Mancini to retain him as his no.1.
The end of 2010/11 brought both plaudits and accolades, as City won their first trophy in 34 years and Hart claimed the Premier League Golden Glove with 18 clean sheets while also setting a new club record of 29 in all competitions.
By this point Hart had already established himself as a contender for England, having made his international debut in 2008, though despite his stellar season with Birmingham he was overlooked for the 2010 World Cup in favour of Rob Green and David James.
But following Green’s calamitous performance against USA and James being cast as ‘past it’, Hart was finally instated as England no.1 in a 2012 European Championship qualifier against Bulgaria in 2010.
By the time Hart had won his sixth international cap pundits were already touting him as a future England captain as his form for City continued to improve.
After a quick rise to the top, in which he went from lowly Shrewsbury Town to Premier League champion in just six years, Hart was then to endure a turbulent period – both on the field and off it.
Never afraid to show his emotions, Hart’s outburst after the away defeat against Real Madrid in 2012/13, when the Blues surrendered a lead with only five minutes left, induced the ire of the hot-tempered Mancini.
This lead to an all-round drop in form, which reached a low point when he was replaced by Costel Pantilimon in the City line-up, and was compounded when fierce rivals Manchester United reclaimed the Premier League crown.
With his status as City’s only English regular starter in jeopardy, Hart rebounded back to his former high standards under new manager Manuel Pellegrini and the 2013/14 season culminated in a second league title in three years.
Appearances
England: 39
Manchester City: 173
Birmingham City (loan): 36
Blackpool (loan): 5
Tranmere Rovers (loan): 6
Shrewsbury Town: 54
