Claret & bruise for fighter Joe
JOE HART has a black eye and suffered a few blows to the chin but he is still in there fighting.
And he swears his ‘shiner’ did not arrive as a welcome to East London present from his West Ham and England team-mate Andy Carroll.
Hart said: “My induction was to have a fight with Andy.
“No, I spread myself for the ball and I get hit in the face quite a lot but this is the first time it has actually marked me.
“I’ve had a few verbal blows to the chin though.”
Hart is on the second leg of his journey trying to prove his parent club Manchester City was wrong to farm him out.
He spent last season in Italy with Torino and now he is at the Hammers and still fighting.
Hart starts his new chapter back in Manchester at old rivals United today and expects the usual boos.
But it will be music to his ears because it means he is back in the Premier
League, still standing and ready to thank
West Ham for giving him another chance to prove he is still
England’s No.1.
And he has already had the blessing of England boss Gareth Southgate, who also welcomes his return.
Hart said: “Yes, I’m looking forward to it. I enjoyed last year in a different league but this is possibly the best in the world to be part of.
“So I’m very privileged and very happy to be a part of West Ham’s team and hopefully I’ll be playing on Sunday at one of the greatest stadiums in the world.
“I’d like to think I have come back from Italy a better keeper. I want to be learning and improving all the time so I’d like to think I’m a better keeper than when I walked through the door here a couple of weeks ago. I want to keep improving no matter where I am and what I’m doing.
“This season will be an interesting one for everyone and certainly me and it’s something I’ve always embraced. I love playing football first and foremost. “Obviously playing for my country is very important. “I’m still owned by my parent club and I was fully aware I wasn’t going to play football for them, so trying to get football elsewhere to the highest standard possible was important this summer. “Like I say, I’m very grateful
I’m here and I just want to play well and do well for the team.”
Hart tried to put City out of his mind by adding: “I don’t think about going back, I’m a West Ham player – that’s all I think about. “The other side of it is quite political with contracts and I respect that and my parent club. “But all I care about right now is West Ham.
“I’m not trying to make a point to Pep but Slaven Bilic, he’s my coach. I’m trying to make my point to Gareth Southgate, they’re my coaches, they’re the people whose opinions I care about.
“I can’t answer why City let me go. That’s their problem. My feelings for them will never change. You can moan about it and you can make smart comments and try to work out why it was done, or you can get on with it. I have taken the latter. “I come here, with high demands on my team-mates because I demand a lot of myself. I’m here to win, I’m here to try to improve, I’m here to try to help and I’m here to learn. “If everyone has a similar mindset we have a dangerous squad.” And Hart is fired up and ready for his next challenge. “Whether people want to say good things about me, whether they want to say bad I just want play football so I have to put things to one side. Sometimes take a few things on the chin and dig in and work.” Hart will wear his favourite No.25 and said: “I didn’t feel it was right to take the No.1 shirt. I’m on loan and the I’ve enjoyed a lot of good times as No.25.”
He also side-stepped backing City for the title: “Anyone can do it and why not West Ham?
“We just have to reach for the top. Go as hard as we can in every game and see where that takes us.”