Joe Hart has lifted the lid on his fractious relationship with Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, who forced him out of the club last season.

The England international, who is on loan at West Ham, was told he was not part of Guardiola's plans when the Spaniard arrived at City in the summer of 2016, report the Manchester Evening News.

The 30-year-old had fought for his place at City before after he was dropped when Mark Hughes arrived at the club in 2009 and Shay Given was promoted to number 1.

Hart admitted even then: “I thought that was it at Manchester City.”

But last year when he was told he was surplus to requirements Hart decided to continue his fight elsewhere instead of battle with Guardiola.

Hart is at West Ham this season after spending 2016/17 at Torino (
Image:
REUTERS)

Speaking to The Offside Rule Exclusives he said: “When I was 22, when Hughes did it, it made me a lot angrier than it did this time. I didn’t know how to deal with or how to cope with it.

“So when this happened I was all up for a fight, and a fair fight is good for me and if I lose I will shake hands with my opposition, but I realised this wasn’t going to be my opportunity for a fair fight so I looked elsewhere.

"There was no point getting upset or irate because there was only ever going to be one winner and that was going to be the guy who Manchester City had put in charge.

"He has a lot of power and City fought like hell to get him as their manager and he had decisions to make and he made that with me."

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Hart only played once for Guardiola in the Champions League game against Steaua Bucharest, but the former Shrewsbury man doesn't have any regrets for not being given a chance.

He said: "That's life and that's football. We all want a fair chance at everything but that's not how it works. I'm not going to second guess why he wanted to get rid of me.

"The only thing that came of it is that I had to leave. Why he did it or what his intentions were I don't really care because it makes no difference to my life."

In his 10 years at the club Hart became a fan favourite, and although he enjoyed his time with the Italian club Torino he's admitted he wanted to spend his career at City.

Ederson is Manchester City's new goalkeeper (
Image:
Getty Images Europe)

The keeper added: "It would be a lie to say I didn't want to spend the rest of my career at City but it was too good an opportunity to turn down.

"Third or fourth choice at City or to go and play in Serie A so I took it."

You can listen to the full interview with Joe Hart from new podcast series The Offside Exclusives via Audioboom and iTunes