Joe Hart’s World Cup credentials get a huge boost from Crystal Palace chief Roy Hodgson
Veteran tactician quit after the Three Lions lost to Iceland in the last 16 of the 2016 Euros — with Hart at fault for the minnows’ winner
JOE HART’S World Cup credentials earned a ringing endorsement from a man who could have been forgiven for harbouring a grudge.
Roy Hodgson quit after the Three Lions lost to Iceland in the last 16 of the 2016 Euros — with Hart at fault for the minnows’ winner.
But Hodgson watched West Ham’s on-loan keeper, 30, roll back the years to thwart his Crystal Palace team in Saturday’s dramatic 2-2 draw.
And the Eagles chief reckons Hart’s heroics prove he would be well worth his England spot in Russia next year.
Current Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate has so far kept faith in the experienced No 1.
But Stoke’s Jack Butland is pushing for his place and a fair few fans have lost patience with Hart, who has looked on the wane since Pep Guardiola shipped him out of Manchester City.
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He had a tricky time on loan at Torino last term and has hardly looked at home with the Hammers, conceding 19 league goals — but, ironically, one less than Butland.
Some supporters were actually calling for Adrian to stay in the Hammers net after the Spaniard’s display in the midweek Carabao Cup win over Tottenham.
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Yet Slaven Bilic had no doubts about restoring Hart to his league line-up.
And despite Wilfried Zaha’s 97th- minute leveller at Selhurst Park, he certainly silenced his critics — of which Hodgson has never been one.
The Palace boss said: “Joe played in almost every one of the 57 games I had with England.
“When he didn’t play, it was because we wanted to give someone else the chance to show what they could do.
“So it’s no surprise to me West Ham have a top-class keeper who, when needed — and they needed him against us — can respond.
“I’ve never written him off and people who watched this performance and see the number of saves he made, will see his presence.
“They’ll see how much work he had to do as well and he did it with great aplomb. He was excellent.
“So well done, Joe, although pity you didn’t have a bad game, that would have made me happier!
“It must be nice for Gareth and England to know they’ve still got a goalkeeper of his class.”
Hodgson was then pressed over whether he thought Hart was still England’s undisputed No 1.
But it was subject he did not want to touch, as he added: “I don’t work for England any more. The last thing I shall be doing at any stage is giving advice. I think he’s a good keeper. I think we are blessed at the moment with a number of good ones.”
Hart’s first-half action included clawing away a James Tomkins header, then somehow keeping out Jeffrey Schlupp’s rebound, even if he did not know a lot about it.
That was after Javier Hernandez had fired the Hammers ahead and before Andre Ayew’s stunning solo effort for the visitors’ second, when he ran from halfway and smashed in from 20 yards.
After the break, following Luka Milivojevic’s Palace penalty, Hart flung himself to his left to deny both Zaha and Yohan Cabaye.
And he saved his best until last when, in the first minute of injury-time, he terrifically tipped a Tomkins header on to the bar, then celebrated as if he had won it.
Zaha, though, took some of the shine off Hart’s showing with his dramatic intervention after Michail Antonio had carelessly given the ball away rather than keeping it in the corner.
But Hart’s boss Bilic added: “You are expecting that from Joe. He is England’s No 1 keeper.
“The bigger you are, the more criticism you get.
“But the only way he can keep the critics quiet is by playing like this.”
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