On-loan West Ham goalkeeper Joe Hart claims he left Manchester City as he wasn’t going to be given a fair fight under Pep Guardiola
The 30-year-old was shipped off to the Hammers in the summer after spending last season on loan with Serie A side Torino
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JOE HART has revealed he left Manchester City as he wasn't going to be given a fair fight under Pep Guardiola.
The 30-year-old was deemed not good enough by Pep Guardiola when he took charge of the Citizens last summer, and instantly was told he is not part of his plans.
Hart was shipped off to join Serie A side Torino on a season-long loan deal last summer, and this year he is plying his trade with West Ham until the end of the campaign.
However, the goalkeeper has revealed he was no stranger for competition while at City after he fell out of favour with Mark Hughes back in 2009, with Shay Given promoted to number one.
He chose to stay and won his place back in the starting XI, but knew that was never going to happen under Guardiola.
Speaking to The Offside Rule Exclusives, he said: "I thought that was it at Manchester City.
"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.
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"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."
Hart - who featured just once under Guardiola - also revealed that he wanted to end his career at the Etihad after becoming a firm fan favourite with the fans, but doesn't have any regrets about not being given a fair chance.
He added: "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."
"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."
And with a World Cup looming next summer, the ex-Birmingham ace knows game time is a must if he is to be included in Gareth Southgate's England squad.
His start at West Ham hasn't got off to the best start - conceding 13 goals in seven games - but has kept a clean sheet in three out of his last four matches.
To listen to the full extended interview of Joe Hart talking to Lynsey Hooper and Kait Borsay, visit www.offsiderulepodcast.com
