A key figure in a golden age in the Club’s history, Joe has collected as many individual prizes as he has team honours in his decade at the Etihad Stadium.
No goalkeeper has won more Premier League Golden Gloves titles than Joe’s four, he’s also been named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year twice and is well clear of more than a century of clean sheets for the Blues.
Initially joining the club from Shrewsbury as a teenager in 2006, to say he’s proved to be something of a bargain for the reported £600,000 fee is a gross understatement.
Following his debut in a goalless draw against Sheffield United, Joe spent loan spells at Blackpool and Tranmere Rovers which equipped him with valuable first-team league experience before he returned to his parent club to compete for a first-team slot.
Competition was fierce as Joe was pitted against Swedish international goalkeeper Andres Isaksson and Kasper Schmeichel but the youngster showed his potential in the 32 occasions he was called upon by Sven Goran Eriksson that season.
Following 33 more tastes of senior action in 2008/09, Joe had another loan spell which propelled him into international contention, this time at Birmingham City where he was voted the Premier League’s best goalkeeper following 36 appearances for the Midlands outfit.
Hart spent the following year as understudy to Shay Given in the league but 2010/11 proved to be his breakthrough season as Roberto Mancini installed him as first-choice goalkeeper and he went on to lift his first major trophy, the FA Cup, at season’s end.
Joe has hardly looked back since, going on to become England no.1 at three major tournaments, winning the Premier League title and the Capital One Cup twice, as well as claiming the award for most league clean sheets on four occasions.
Responsible for some of the most iconic moments in the recent history of City, including penalty saves from Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Hart enjoyed some of his very best moments in the UEFA Champions League and was directly responsible for the accumulation of countless Premier League points his team would not have accumulated without him.
A popular, well-liked figure in the dressing room and a fans’ favourite thanks to his articulate, straight talking candour in interviews, Hart now joins Turin-based Serie A outfit, Torino for the remainder of the current campaign.
From everyone at the club, good luck and thank you, Joe!
