Former Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart says he still wrestles with mixed emotions over his abrupt exit from the club following Pep Guardiola’s arrival in 2016. Hart, once a key figure in City’s rise, winning two Premier League titles and multiple domestic trophies, was dropped almost immediately when Guardiola took charge.
Guardiola selected Willy Caballero for his first league match before signing Claudio Bravo from Barcelona, signalling Hart’s demotion. The England keeper was sent on loan to Torino, then West Ham, before leaving City permanently in 2018. After several years as a backup, Hart revived his career at Celtic before retiring last year.
Speaking on That Peter Crouch Podcast, Hart admitted he felt both understanding and anger at the time.
«Of course, I wanted to rip his head off… everyone knew I was frustrated and hurt,» he said. «But life goes on. I love Manchester City — they took me from 19 to 29. I’m not letting one bad situation ruin that.»
Hart said he had long feared Guardiola’s arrival, knowing the manager preferred keepers comfortable playing out from the back, as seen with Victor Valdés and Manuel Neuer.
After later discussing the decision directly with Guardiola, Hart said the message was clear: «It wasn’t ‘you’re horrendous,’ it was ‘I don’t have time to make you the goalkeeper I want — and I have the budget to get someone else.’»
Despite the painful exit, Hart says he holds no grudges — only gratitude for the decade he spent at Manchester City.
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