Manchester City were determined to push Joe Hart out at the end of the transfer window, so much so that it was made clear he probably wouldn’t even be second choice if he stayed around.
Such was the situation, followed by Hart’s poor Euro 2016, that it saw the perception of the Manchester City owned goalkeeper drop beyond most reason.
Whereas Hart may have at times been overrated, the situation turned on its head and it felt like some of the coverage was more personal than perhaps it may have been with others.
There were a couple of ways 29 year old Hart could have dealt with his Torino loan. There may well have been sulking at his Manchester City exit, and an aloofness which only allowed the footballer to see such a club as a temporary measure to be treated as such, but Hart has really thrown himself him.
The goalkeeper’s first press conference was impressive given the Italian spoken. Sure, Hart was reading the words to say but the concentration on pronunciation and the accuracy of the vast majority of it was impressive, and things have gone on from there.
An error by Hart on his debut against Atalanta was widely covered, but the three matches since haven’t had quite so much attention. In three games, Torino have only conceded one goal, and that was a penalty.
Gazzetta dello Sport point out that in the three games before, Torino were conceding an average of 2 goals every 90 minutes. The Italian newspaper explains: ‘The English goalkeeper is being integrated in record time in his new reality and the results are obvious.’
Hart is further praised by Gazzetta for ‘imperious’ saves, and it’s explained Torino fans are already keen, especially after a gesture Hart made to them during the last match. Thanking the crowd for their support, Hart made a heart gesture towards his new supporters.
Continuing to do and say the right things, Hart is quoted as saying: “I arrived in a beautiful city, I had a big greeting, and will study Italian: this is an experience that excites me a lot. England? I will not miss, because here we eat very well.”
Hart is also impressing those in charge at Torino, with club president Urbano Cairo saying: “Apart from his big goalkeeping skills, I am discovering the qualities of a great guy. He’s a very respectful one of the group.”
The England international’s dedication to learning the language is going a long way to win over the locals and actually help his play, with Gazzetta explaining: ‘The first month in Italy has been valuable to begin to understand and be understood, and the results are seen on the pitch: Hart is already perfectly integrated in defensive movements. He controls the defence with a loud voice, gives instructions to all teammates and we see the charisma of a goalkeeper who has lots of experience.’
Manchester City pay 70% of Joe Hart’s wages at Torino and the Italian newspaper say that whilst a longer stay is unlikely, you can ‘never say never’ and the chemistry between Hart and his new club is already strong.
A permanent move from Manchester City is described as a ‘miracle’ situation, which would reflect very well on how the Englishman is getting on in Turin.
