Joe Hart is planning to repay Gareth Southgate’s loyalty after being included in the England manager’s 27-man squad for the upcoming internationals with the Netherlands and Italy.
The West Ham United goalkeeper, who was recalled to the Hammers’ starting XI for their most-recent Premier League fixture with Burnley, has 75 caps to his name and has started 12 of Southgate’s 14 matches in charge of the national team.
However, Hart’s position as England’s No1 may now be under threat, with Everton’s Jordan Pickford, Stoke City’s Jack Butland and Burnley’s Nick Pope also named by Southgate for the first two of four pre-FIFA World Cup finals friendlies.
Hart himself has vowed to pay no attention to any speculation over his place in the squad, instead focusing on performing well for a manager who has always supported him, both publicly and behind the scenes.
I’m just focused on this camp and being a part of a squad that I’ve been a big part of for a long time now
Joe Hart
“Since Gareth has been in charge he’s always said I’ve performed really well for him,” said the 30-year-old. “He seems like a loyal guy but the shirt is up for grabs. There are three goalkeeper places [in the World Cup squad] and there are some people performing well in the Premier League.
“Hopefully I’ve got my place back now [at West Ham] and we’ll see where we go with that.
“For now, I’m just focused on this camp and being a part of a squad that I’ve been a big part of for a long time now.”
Hart has a strong and determined character honed from making his senior breakthrough at Shrewsbury Town at 17, playing for and winning Premier League titles at Manchester City and appearing in three major tournaments for England.
So, while the debate over his place in the Three Lions squad may rage on externally, the No25 is not about to let anything outside the England camp get to him. And as for the competition posed by the likes of Pickford, Butland and Pope, Hart relishes it.
I’m not going to let that ever affect me. The position I’m in, if you let confidence dip it’s going to affect you badly.
“I’m me, I’m going to keep working hard, I’ve worked hard every day of my life and I’ll continue to do that whether I’m playing or not.
“It (the competition for places) is no different to any moment that I’ve been playing football. Even when I was trying to get into my Sunday league team, it was the same script: people want to play football. That’s no different to the one here.
“I am not here to answer critics. I am here to play football, enjoy what I do and try and help my team the best way I can.”
Hart joined squad-mates Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Ashley Young and representatives from other England teams in planting trees in remembrance of 14 internationals who served in the First World War at St George’s Park on Tuesday morning.
The 14 players who paid the ultimate sacrifice during the Great War were Sam Hardy, Frank Buckley, Albert Colclough, George Elliott, Harold Fleming, Harry Hampton, Edwin Latheron, Joe McCall, Harry Martin, Edwin Mosscrop, Joe Smith, Fanny Walden, Charles Wallace and Richard Watson.