Having hung up his gloves and made a smooth transition into punditry, Joe Hart's opinions on the game are increasingly in demand.
That was the case this week when the 39-year-old sat down with The National at the Puma Manchester City store in Dubai Mall to discuss everything from Enzo Maresca's start at his former club to his own managerial ambitions – or complete lack of them.
Hart's analysis is as measured as his handling once was, and when it comes to Maresca, he likes what he sees. Following Pep Guardiola was always going to be like inheriting a cathedral and being asked to add a new wing, yet Maresca has enjoyed an astonishingly good start to the season, setting a Premier League record by winning his first seven matches in charge.
“He’s very, very calm. I think it’s nice that he understands the building. He knows quite a lot of the players,” Hart says of Maresca, who previously spent time as an assistant to Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium.
“He’s gone away and done some incredible work [at Leicester and Chelsea]. It feels right. I think that’s the biggest compliment you can pay him.
“I think it’s very tough, obviously, to follow someone like Pep Guardiola. Ten years of dominance. He has started really well, [but] he’s the kind of manager who’s not going to want a good start - he’s going to want a whole good career at Manchester City.”
Maresca's strong first impression has come at what Hart concedes is a challenging time away from pitch. City have launched an appeal after being found guilty of 114 of 115 financial charges in their long-running case with the Premier League. City have always denied any wrongdoing. Their former goalkeeper believes that the team's performances reflect a strong spirit at the club.
“As far as I can see, they seem together. They seem united in how they feel, in how they back the club. The club's been incredible. The fans have [had] a really strong response,” says Hart, who spent 12 years at the club, making 348 appearances, keeping 137 clean sheets and winning two Premier League titles, an FA cup and two League Cups.
“There's no getting away from it – it's a difficult moment. But I mean, as I say, inside that training ground, inside that stadium, there's a real team belief. They can only take care of business on the pitch. And that's what they're doing. They're doing a brilliant job."
Guardiola regret is 'validation'
For all of Hart's years of service, the end of his City career was abrupt, as Guardiola decided to make a change in goal shortly after his appointment in 2016.
Hart, England's number one at the time, joined Torino on loan before going on to play for Burnley, Tottenham and Celtic, where he added seven more major honours to his resume.
Guardiola, who argued that Hart lacked ability with his feet, has since admitted he was wrong not to have given him an opportunity to adapt.
“It made me emotional because it was almost validation for how I felt at the time,” says Hart when asked about Guardiola's admission.
“But in terms of how we get on as friends and as ex-colleagues, nothing changed for me. I had those conversations with him 10 years ago. He was honest. I wanted him to be as honest as he possibly could be.
“It was a unique situation. As a goalkeeper, you either play or you don't. And he didn't feel like he had enough time to get me ready for the team that he needed. And if he didn't have enough time, then I couldn't be there.
“We had some really difficult conversations at the time. Shook hands, hugged, and that was it. It was parked and buried and I was happy 10 years ago but I think what he said is more for him rather than me.”
Embracing punditry
With the past behind him, Hart is easing into his new life as a pundit. In February this year, he returned to Shrewsbury Town, the club where he started, as a goalkeeping coach for a few weeks as a favour to manager and friend Gavin Cowan.
“Ever since I left them when I was 19, I've not really been able to give anything back,” Hart said.
However, that brief stint is no indication of an interest in becoming a full-time coach. “No, I’ll be nowhere near management or coaching - that’s not for me,” he adds.
For now, he’s open-minded about future projects and keen to explore new possibilities. He recently joined The Overlap’s new daily programme and has been visiting and joining coaching sessions at City Football Schools (CFS) at Masdar City in Abu Dhabi.
Hart grew up in simpler times where “it was more turning up and just playing football”. So, he was struck by the sophistication on show. “The coaching standards are unbelievable,” he said. “The energy, the coaching, the facilities, it was fantastic. And it was great to be around the kids as well.”
A position once reserved for whichever child drew the short straw now appears to have a waiting list. Hart was thrilled by how many children were choosing to play between the posts in the UAE capital.
“I couldn't believe how many goalkeepers there were,” he said “It's becoming a popular position. The standard was really high.” Hart may have put the gloves down, but judging by the queue in Masdar City, plenty are eager to pick them up.
