Joe Hart

Charles Joseph John "Joe" Hart (born 19 April 1987) is an English Association football Goalkeeper (association football) with Birmingham City F.C., on Loan (association football) from Manchester City F.C.. Joe Hart 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.

Club career

Shrewsbury Town

Hart was born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, and attended Oxon Primary School, followed by Meole Brace School Science College in Shrewsbury, where Joe Hart was Head Boy in Joe Hart final year. Whilst Joe Hart was still a Year 11 student at the school, Joe Hart travelled with the first team squad of Joe Hart hometown club, Shrewsbury Town F.C., to Exeter City on 1 February 2003. Joe Hart 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 Joe Hart 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 Joe Hart senior debut on 20 April 2004, a day after Joe Hart seventeenth birthday. Joe Hart played 90 minutes in the match against Gravesend & Northfleet F.C.. Four days later, Joe Hart 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. Joe Hart played a full 46 match league season, conceding 55 goals. Despite conceding more than one goal per game, Hart won plaudits for Joe Hart personal performances, winning Joe Hart 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 Joe Hart 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 Joe Hart 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 Joe Hart as the best player in the division via the website

Manchester City

With Hart in Belgium preparing to make Joe Hart 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 Joe Hart move to Manchester City had been completed. England lost the match to Serbia and Montenegro national football team and failed to qualify.

On 22 May 2006, City paid an initial £600,000 for Hart, but, depending on appearances, the fee could rise to a total of £1,500,000.

Hart made Joe Hart 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.. Joe Hart kept a Shutout in the match, which finished goalless.

Loaned to Tranmere Rovers and then Blackpool

Hart spent the whole month of January 2007 on loan to Football League One club Tranmere Rovers F.C.. Joe Hart made 6 appearances and conceded 8 goals. Joe Hart was then named in Joe Hart then-club manager Stuart Pearce's first squad in Joe Hart part-time role as England national under-21 football team coach, alongside another goalkeeper uncapped at U21 level, Ben Alnwick. Joe Hart 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.

In April 2007, Hart joined Blackpool F.C. on loan as cover for the injured trio of Rhys Evans, Paul Rachubka and Lewis Edge. Joe Hart kept a clean sheet in a 2–0 win for Blackpool at Huddersfield Town F.C. on 9 April 2007, in Joe Hart 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 Joe Hart final game, and Joe Hart helped them claim a place in the end-of-season play-offs.

Return to Manchester City

On Joe Hart return from a successful loan spell at Blackpool, former Manchester City manager, Sven-Göran Eriksson, named Hart as Manchester City's number 1 ahead of Andreas Isaksson. After Joe Hart performance against Newcastle United, Eriksson touted Joe Hart as "one of the biggest talents in this country as a goalkeeper", and that Joe Hart had the potential to become an England international in the future. Only months later, Joe Hart made Joe Hart 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 5 August 2008. However, Joe Hart position as first-choice keeper was taken by Shay Given upon Joe Hart arrival at the club in January 2009.

Birmingham City

Having played no games for City since Given's arrival, rumours began to emerge of a loan move away from Manchester. City secured the transfer of Stuart Taylor (footballer born 1980) from Aston Villa F.C. on 23 June 2009, paving the way for Hart to leave. The following day it was announced that Hart would spend the 2009–10 in English football on loan to newly-promoted Birmingham City F.C..

International career

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 Joe Hart 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.

Having been 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, Joe Hart made Joe Hart 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, Joe Hart saw little action, England eventually running out 3-0 winners.

However, Hart's senior England debut has not netted Shrewsbury Town the expected bonus of Pound sterling500,000 from Manchester City, as negotiated at part of Joe Hart transfer in 2006, because it was not a competitive match.

Joe Hart received a second call-up by Fabio Capello to face Czech Republic national football team on 20 August 2008, but was not brought on.