Joe Hart

Charles Joseph "Joe" Hart (born 19 April 1987 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire) is an English Association football Goalkeeper (association football) with Manchester City F.C.. He is a regular for the England national under-21 football team and has been Cap (sport) as a full international for England national football team.

Shrewsbury Town

Hart attended Oxon Primary School, followed by Meole Brace School Science College in Shrewsbury. Whilst he was still a Year 11 student at the school, he travelled with the first team squad of his hometown club, Shrewsbury Town F.C., to Exeter City on 1 February 2003. He was a non-playing substitute on that occasion and fulfilled that role again versus Rochdale A.F.C. at Gay Meadow on 1 March 2003, still some six weeks short of his sixteenth birthday. This match yielded Shrewsbury's final victory in a season that culminated in relegation to the Football Conference. During the one season that Shrewsbury spent in the Conference, Hart made his senior debut on 20 April 2004, a day after his seventeenth birthday. He played 90 minutes in the match against Gravesend & Northfleet F.C.. Four days later, he conceded three at Morecambe F.C..

Hart did not play again until April of the following year, as Scott Howie dominated goalkeeping duties. With Shrewsbury back in the Football League (the newly-renamed Football League Two) and struggling, Hart played six matches and conceded four goals.

From the start of the 2005-06 in English football, Hart made the step up into the first team, and became the club's first choice goalkeeper, claiming the Number 1 shirt. He played a full 46 match league season, conceding 55 goals. Despite conceding more than one goal per game, Hart won plaudits for his personal performances, winning his first England U-19 cap in October 2005, as a substitute against Poland national football team.

Hart also found admirers in the Premiership, with several top-flight scouts attending matches. On 30 November 2005, the Shropshire Star newspaper reported that Everton F.C. goalkeeping coach Chris Woods had been present at Town's previous league match, a 4–3 loss at Rochdale A.F.C.. Shrews boss Gary Peters (footballer) said "Everton have been to watch him, but you could say the same about Arsenal F.C., Chelsea F.C. and every other team in the Premier League".

Speculation about his future continued for the duration of the season, and with the presence of their goalkeeping coach Tim Flowers at several matches, Manchester City became the most likely of his suitors.

On 7 February 2006, Hart was announced as the top League Two player in the PFA Fans' Player of the Month Awards for January 2006. Football fans voted him as the best player in the division via the website

At the PFA Awards ceremony on 23 March 2006, it was announced that Hart had been voted as League Two's best goalkeeper for 2005-06 in English football by his fellow professionals, earning him a place in the PFA League Two Team of the Year.

Manchester City

With Hart in Belgium preparing to make his fifth appearance for the England U19 squad, in the UEFA U-19 Championship 2006 (Elite Round) for the UEFA U-19 Championship 2006, it was announced that the move to Manchester City had taken place. England lost the match to Serbia and Montenegro national football team and failed to qualify.

On 22 May 2006, City paid an initial Pound sterling600,000 for Hart, but, depending on appearances, the fee could rise to a total of £1,500,000.

Hart made his debut for City on 14 October 2006 after injuries ruled out Andreas Isaksson and Nicky Weaver for the Premier League match against Sheffield United F.C.. He kept a Shutout in the match, which finished goalless. He has managed 3 clean sheets in 4 premier league games this season.

Hart was selected by Stuart Pearce in the preliminary England Under-21 30-man squad for 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, and later made the final 23. In the team's final friendly before the finals, Hart was selected for his first Under-21 start, and played the full 90 minutes in a 5–0 win over Slovakia national under-21 football team at Carrow Road. However, Hart took no part in the finals, with Scott Carson playing in all of England's four fixtures. Hart will be eligible for the U21s until the end of the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship.

Former Manchester City manager, Sven-Göran Eriksson named Hart as Manchester City's number 1 ahead of Andreas Isaksson. After his performance against Newcastle United, Eriksson touted him as "one of the biggest talents in this country as a goalkeeper", and that he had the potential to become an England international in the future. Only months later, he made his England national football team debut against Trinidad & Tobago national football team on 1 June 2008.

After the departure of Isaksson, Hart took the vacant number 1 jersey when the official 08/09 squad numbers were announced on 05 August 2008.

Hart has a decent start to the 2008/09 Premier League season, but he gave a terrific performance against FC Midtjylland on 28th August 2008, with two brilliant penalty saves, allowing Manchester City to qualify for the first round of the UEFA Cup.

Tranmere Rovers

Hart spent the whole month of January 2007 on loan to Football League One club Tranmere Rovers F.C.. He made 6 appearances and conceded 8 goals. He was then named in his then-club manager Stuart Pearce's first squad in his part-time role as England national under-21 football team coach, alongside another goalkeeper uncapped at U21 level, Ben Alnwick. He was not chosen to start the match on 6 February 2007 against Spain national under-21 football team, but did come on as a substitute late in the game.

Blackpool

In April 2007, Hart joined Blackpool F.C. on loan as cover for the injured trio of Rhys Evans, Paul Rachubka and Lewis Edge. He kept a clean sheet in a 2–0 win for Blackpool at Huddersfield Town F.C. on 9 April 2007, in his first game for the Seasiders. Blackpool won all five games in which Hart appeared, including a 6–3 win at Swansea City F.C. in his final game, and he helped them claim a place in the end-of-season play-offs.

England

A regular in the England under-21 national football team squad, Hart was called up by Fabio Capello to the full England national football team squad for the friendly matches against USA national football team and Trinidad & Tobago national football team. An unused substitute against USA national football team, he made his debut against Trinidad & Tobago national football team, on 1 June 2008 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain. Coming on at half time for David James (footballer). with England 2-0 up, he saw little action, England eventually running out 3-0 winners. Hart's senior England debut has not however netted Shrewsbury Town the expected bonus of £500,000 from Manchester City, as negotiated at part of his transfer in 2006, because it was not a competitive match. He received a second call-up by Fabio Capello to face Czech Republic on 20th August 2008, but was not brought on.