Hart gutted to concede free-kick double
Joe Hart was left disappointed to be beaten twice in England’s 2-2 World Cup qualifying draw against Scotland on Saturday.
Widely criticised for his performancesatEuro2016,he again came under scrutiny after Leight Griffiths scored two late free-kicks.
He felt the England wall could have done him a favour if they had jumped for the first free-kick. “It might have helped but coulda, shoulda, woulda,” Hart said.
“I asked my wall to jump but not excessively because people are clever now and they go underneath.
“But I’ve seen it again and we would have needed four or five Crouchies in that wall to make a difference and that’s not what we had.”
Hart says his analysis switches to the set-pieces of Dimitri Payet and Paul Pogba, but Gareth Southgate intends to start Jack Butland, Fraser Forster or Tom Heaton in France.
Such talent, along with England Under-21 goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, makes the 71-cap goalkeeper appreciate every England appearance.
“I’ve got to respect this career, this shirt’s not mine,” Hart added.
“It’s not nailed-on mine, it’s no-one’s and we’ve got high quality and I have to be playing football at a good, well, at the top level, to the maximum of my ability to even get in the squad at the moment.
“That’s the plan but it’s a strange world the goalkeeping world and patience is probably going to have to be key at the moment.”
Meanwhile, Hart does not believe Manchester City will price him out a permanent exit this summer as he waits to discover which teams will offer him a new home.
He spent last season on loan at Torino, after being overlooked by new City boss Pep Guardiola.
The 30-year-old is trying not to think about his club fu- ture as England prepare to end their season with tomorrow’s friendly against France, but he admitted his career is “almost in the hands of the businessmen now” as he remains patient during this “game of chess”.
“I need an offer first and then I need to work out my options if I have choices. I want to be playing at the highest possible level, pushing myself,said the 30-year-old.
“It’s a short career. I want to push everything out of me. Physically, I feel in great condition and I want to go again.”
West Ham are the latest club to be linked with Hart.