The Citizen (Gauteng)

‘Legend’ Hart hailed as he joins Burnley

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– Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart (left) has signed for Burnley from Manchester City, with City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak hailing his enormous contributi­on to the success of the Premier League champions.

The 31-year-old, who failed to make the England squad for the World Cup, has signed a two-year contract with Burnley for an undisclose­d fee, the club said yesterday.

The arrival of Hart strengthen­s Burnley’s impressive goalkeepin­g ranks following a dislocated shoulder sustained by Nick Pope at Aberdeen that will keep him on the sidelines for some time.

Hart will be competing with Tom Heaton and Anders Lindegaard for a starting spot under manager Sean Dyche, with a Europa League qualifier looming against Istanbul Basaksehir tomorrow

London

and a Premier League match with Southampto­n on Sunday.

Both Pope and Heaton are also England internatio­nals.

Hart was at City for 12 years but Pep Guardiola made clear he would no longer be his No 1 when he took over in 2016.

“Joe Hart’s contributi­on to Manchester City cannot be overstated,” Al Mubarak said in a statement on Manchester City’s website.

“His 12 years at the club has seen him produce some remarkable performanc­es and heart-stopping saves that will live in the memory for a long time to come.

“His passion for and commitment to this club, evidenced by a remarkable tally of 348 appearance­s, means he will rightly be regarded as a City legend in perpetuity.” –

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