Joe Hart shares his thoughts after Pep Guardiola talked about him when mentioning his biggest regret at Man City.
Joe Hart has been called “a brilliant human being” after his response to Pep Guardiola’s recent comments. This week, Guardiola shared that his biggest regret at Manchester City was not giving Joe Hart a proper chance to prove himself as the goalkeeper.
Earlier, Guardiola opened up about a regret he’s kept “deep inside for many years.” Back in 2016, one of his first big decisions as City’s manager was to tell Hart he wasn’t needed anymore after a tough Euro campaign with England. Guardiola wasn’t happy with Hart’s passing skills and wanted a keeper who could help build the play from the back. After Hart’s 52.6% pass-completion rate the season before, Claudio Bravo replaced him.
In fact, Hart only played once under Guardiola—in a Champions League qualifier against Steaua Bucharest—before he was loaned to Torino in Italy. Letting go of Hart, a two-time Premier League winner with City, was a bold move, and now, ten years later, Guardiola says he wishes he had handled it differently.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Guardiola, 55, said: “I want to confess I have regrets. When you make a lot of decisions, you make mistakes. But one regret I’ve had for years is not giving Joe Hart a real chance to prove how good a keeper he was. I should have said, ‘Let’s try this together. If it doesn’t work, then we change.’ But I didn’t.”
Before City’s last game of the season against Aston Villa, Hart was working as a pundit and shared his thoughts on Guardiola’s words. “I didn’t expect it, and it meant more to me than I thought,” Hart said. “I like Pep. We shook hands 10 years ago when he told me I wasn’t part of his plans, and we agreed to disagree. He’s a great manager, and I liked him then and still do now. I felt I was good enough to get a chance, but that’s football and life. I don’t hold grudges.”
Hart added, “My life kept going, and I’ve had some amazing opportunities since. I’m grateful for my time at Manchester City. People ask me how I feel about City, and I say, ‘What about all the great moments?’ I respect Pep as a man. I’m looking forward to shaking his hand and wishing him well today.”
Many fans praised Hart after his interview on the Etihad pitch. One wrote, “Love Joe, man. Brilliant human being. Proper blue.” Another said, “This is incredibly mature from Hart. Fair play. Rarely see professionals act like this.” Others admired his maturity, respect, and humble attitude, calling him “a true legend” and praising his peaceful outlook on his career.