Joe Hart has an Italian debut to forget with Torino

Given the performance of Claudio Bravo for Manchester City in yesterday’s derby, this would have been the ideal opportunity for Hart to show that Blues boss Pep Guardiola had made a mistake in offloading him on loan this season.

The arrival of Irishman Shay Given in January 2009 jeopardized Joe Hart’s position as the club’s number 1 goalkeeper.

His day started inauspiciously after the Torino team sheet named him as John Hart, although that may have been because his full name is Charles Joseph John Hart.

And if clubs are aware Hart is available for such a small sum next summer, then you sense there will more illustrious interest in the player.

Hart became the first English goalkeeper to play in Serie A, with David Beckham the only other established England worldwide to have played in Italy in the 21 century.

But the former Sunderland midfielder was one of Italy’s top players at Euro 2016, where he opened the scoring in a 2-0 opening win over Belgium, and his agent believes Napoli have hit the jackpot.

Torino will feel as though getting the England man on board for the upcoming term is a significant coup, although they’ll likely face much stiffer competition if they’re to recruit him permanently in 2017.

With Torino taking a lead in Bergamo, it was Hart who was at fault for the Atalanta equaliser.

Also Read: As Claudio Bravo joins Manchester City, who is the better ‘keeper, Bravo or Hart?

The City boss subsequently moved to sign £17m Claudio Bravo from Barcelona and made him his new No.1.

However, all top teams in the league already had a top goalkeeper or had acquired one by then during the transfer window forcing Hart to look elsewhere for first team football. Joe was very confident and excited by this experience. He’s one of the few English goalkeepers who will go overseas and learn to make mistakes there too.