Joe Hart says he doesn't hold a grudge against Pep Guardiola
The England goalkeeper says he doesn’t resent Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola for forcing him out of the club and that he’s confident of settling in well in Italy.
Joe Hart says he has no hard feelings against Manchester City and coach Pep Guardiola after being replaced as the club’s number one by former Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo.
Hart, who joined Torino on loan this summer, simply says he’s delighted to be playing regular football.
Guardiola was open with me, says Hart
“He was open with me,” he said. “Football's football. I ended up looking for a new club and, as I said, I'm very happy to be where I am at the moment.”
“I absolutely love to play football and it looked like my options were limited at City” he continued. “It was an easy decision for me. I'm very thankful for the opportunity and I'm proud and happy to be here. I'm looking forward to hopefully having a good season.”
A shaky start to the season
The 29 year-old suffered huge criticism for his performances during England’s disappointing Euro 2016 campaign, in particular following his country’s 2-1 defeat to Iceland, and has made a shaky start to his Serie A career. Hart was at fault for one of the goals in Torino’s 2-1 defeat to Atalanta last weekend, his debut for the club.
Hart confident of settling in Italy
He remains confident of settling in at Torino, however. “I feel confident I can come over here to learn the language and embrace the culture,” he said. “To get the opportunity to try a new league, which a lot of English players don't get the chance to do, was too good an opportunity to turn down.
“My focus is on playing for Torino. My future is here, it's on Sunday when we play Empoli,” he added.