Joe Hart is on the verge of joining Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer, signalling the end of his career at the top level in England.
The former Birmingham, Man City and England goalkeeper left Burnley before the end of the last season when his contract expiring on June 30th. He played 24 games for the club over a two-year period.
Hart was expected to head down a division or abroad, with Celtic reportedly interested in his services for the upcoming season after Fraser Forster returned to Southampton at the end of his loan deal. It seems however that he instead opted to stay in the Premier League with top 6 side Tottenham, as the two parties have agreed a two-year deal and a medical is happening.
With Spurs already having Hugo Lloris as the number 1 at the club and Paulo Gazzaniga as back-up, it seems Hart will be joining the club as the 3rd choice goalkeeper. If that’s the case, it seems Hart has accepted that his time at the top level of the sport is over and he has decided to cash in on his reputation and take another payday to not play.
It’s a shame for Hart, who is arguably England’s best goalkeeper since David Seaman. Hart was the undisputed No.1 at Manchester City as they won two Premier League titles until Pep Guardiola arrived at the club and made the ruthless decision that Hart wasn’t good enough on the ball for him.
He immediately replaced Hart with Claudio Bravo and then Ederson, which saw Hart go on loan to Serie A side Torino and then West Ham before he eventually joined Burnley.
Since the sudden departure at Man City, Hart’s career has completely spiralled. He struggled in Serie A, keeping just five clean sheets despite playing all 38 league games and then he was dropped at West Ham before Christmas after a rough start which saw him concede 10 goals in his first three games for the club.
He lost his place as England goalkeeper and then at Burnley was slowly demoted from first-choice, to second choice to even third choice behind both Nick Pope and Tom Heaton.
Now going to Spurs, Hart’s career will continue in a dormant state. He will essentially be the backup to the backup and is likely being signed simply because he helps the club to fill their homegrown quota in both the Premier League and UEFA competitions.
Spurs get to replace Michel Vorm, who has left the club once again following the end of his contract, without spending any money while also getting an experienced professional with a history of winning titles and trophies behind him.
It’s a smart move for Tottenham and one that many will understand simply because of the current climate in the world, but for Joe Hart it’s a sad career trajectory that continues to spiral downward.
Tap Ins & Tap Outs 