Let me tell you, I was genuinely shocked when I saw that my most read post was my article about Bastian Schweinsteiger. And I was even more shocked when I saw that my third most read entry was about Steven Gerrard. So, I guess many of you like my football posts. Luckily, I'm in the mood for one more, after months of silence. Ladies and gentleman, I finally present to you the Berlin wall of Manchester City, the Number One of England National Football Team, the bulletproof... Charles Joseph John Hart, a.k.a. Joe "Save Hands" Hart.
For those of you who are regularly reading my blog, you might be surprised that he comes third in my Football Legends series. After all, I probably seems obsessed with him. But we have to recognize the fact that he became a "real" player in 2010. Don't get me wrong, he is amazing, but I believe that he has a lot more to learn about the game. His career is just starting.
His story is very interesting, I have to say. Even though he was recruited by Manchester City in 2006, when he was 19 years old, his true career there started only last season. His "Cinderella Story" started in August 2010. After a series of loans in different clubs and proving that he can handle the Premier League, his luck smiled on him at a game against Tottenham Hotspur. Because of some problems, the first-choice goalkeeper, Shay Given, was not able to start the game.
Hart was the second choice, so he took the hot spot between the sticks. The game went from bad to worse for City as Tottenham moved the entire game in front of Hart's goal. And what he did there was phenomenal. After more than 15 clear-shot saves and more than 15 other deflections he kept a clean sheet and helped his struggling team get a 0-0 draw from a surely lost game. Not only that, but he won the "Man of the Match" award, a rare honor for a goalkeeper, especially on his first game against such a big team.
That was it. That was the moment in which he sealed his position as a first-team goalkeeper and Shay Given was moved to the bench. In his first Premier League season, Joe Hart won the Barclay's Golden Glove for keeping 18 clean sheets. He also broke the club record, by keeping an overall of 29 matches during a season clean. Now, Joe Hart is the seventh best goalkeeper in the world (With which I disagree, because he is far better than names which are there only because they play in big teams. I'm not saying who they are... Khum, khum, Casillas, khum, khum!), and the best goalkeeper in the UK. He was also the main reason why Manchester City managed to qualify for the Champions League this year.
I have a very interesting story with him as well. I was watching the very first qualifier for the Euro 2012. It was England versus Bulgaria, but the match was played at Wembley, so I couldn't attend. Now, I have to be honest with you, my first though when I saw him was: "Damn, he's cute." It's true that he made some good saves that game, but it only served to draw my attention to him. It was only later, when I started watching the Premier League when I saw how amazing he is in his position. After a few games, he easily became one of my favorite players. After Van Der Saar's retirement, he became my ultimate favorite goalkeeper as well.
He is also the very first football player that I saw in real life. It was in the second game between Bulgaria and England, which was played here, in Sofia. Of course, I attended. It turned out that my seat was next to Hart's goal. Ironically, England scored all three goals against us in the first half, on the other side of the pitch, which meant I barely saw a thing. But I had 45-minute "Joe-Hart-Resting-Next-To-His-Goal" show. I can't complain.
There are many games that make him a legend. Games, in which he saved his team from pure embarrassment. Many people believe that Capello made a terrible mistake by keeping him on the bench during the World Cup, which England made a fiasco at. But now, in Euro 2012, they have hope. At least, I have hope. And one last fun fact - England has not lost a single game with Joe Hart between the sticks. Just saying, keep it up!
Joe Hart's Moment of Glory Versus Tottenham Hotspur:
For those of you who are regularly reading my blog, you might be surprised that he comes third in my Football Legends series. After all, I probably seems obsessed with him. But we have to recognize the fact that he became a "real" player in 2010. Don't get me wrong, he is amazing, but I believe that he has a lot more to learn about the game. His career is just starting.
His story is very interesting, I have to say. Even though he was recruited by Manchester City in 2006, when he was 19 years old, his true career there started only last season. His "Cinderella Story" started in August 2010. After a series of loans in different clubs and proving that he can handle the Premier League, his luck smiled on him at a game against Tottenham Hotspur. Because of some problems, the first-choice goalkeeper, Shay Given, was not able to start the game.
Hart was the second choice, so he took the hot spot between the sticks. The game went from bad to worse for City as Tottenham moved the entire game in front of Hart's goal. And what he did there was phenomenal. After more than 15 clear-shot saves and more than 15 other deflections he kept a clean sheet and helped his struggling team get a 0-0 draw from a surely lost game. Not only that, but he won the "Man of the Match" award, a rare honor for a goalkeeper, especially on his first game against such a big team.
That was it. That was the moment in which he sealed his position as a first-team goalkeeper and Shay Given was moved to the bench. In his first Premier League season, Joe Hart won the Barclay's Golden Glove for keeping 18 clean sheets. He also broke the club record, by keeping an overall of 29 matches during a season clean. Now, Joe Hart is the seventh best goalkeeper in the world (With which I disagree, because he is far better than names which are there only because they play in big teams. I'm not saying who they are... Khum, khum, Casillas, khum, khum!), and the best goalkeeper in the UK. He was also the main reason why Manchester City managed to qualify for the Champions League this year.
I have a very interesting story with him as well. I was watching the very first qualifier for the Euro 2012. It was England versus Bulgaria, but the match was played at Wembley, so I couldn't attend. Now, I have to be honest with you, my first though when I saw him was: "Damn, he's cute." It's true that he made some good saves that game, but it only served to draw my attention to him. It was only later, when I started watching the Premier League when I saw how amazing he is in his position. After a few games, he easily became one of my favorite players. After Van Der Saar's retirement, he became my ultimate favorite goalkeeper as well.
He is also the very first football player that I saw in real life. It was in the second game between Bulgaria and England, which was played here, in Sofia. Of course, I attended. It turned out that my seat was next to Hart's goal. Ironically, England scored all three goals against us in the first half, on the other side of the pitch, which meant I barely saw a thing. But I had 45-minute "Joe-Hart-Resting-Next-To-His-Goal" show. I can't complain.
There are many games that make him a legend. Games, in which he saved his team from pure embarrassment. Many people believe that Capello made a terrible mistake by keeping him on the bench during the World Cup, which England made a fiasco at. But now, in Euro 2012, they have hope. At least, I have hope. And one last fun fact - England has not lost a single game with Joe Hart between the sticks. Just saying, keep it up!
Joe Hart's Moment of Glory Versus Tottenham Hotspur:
Some more talent:
And, of course, his soundtrack:
To be honest, I was waiting for a post like this. And I was betting it would be for Hart. Good writing, have you considered a career in football?
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