Joe Hart facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Joe Hart

Hart playing for Manchester City in 2014
Personal information
Full name	Charles Joseph John Hart
Date of birth	(1987-04-19) 19 April 1987 (age 38)
Place of birth	Shrewsbury, England
Height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Youth career
0000–2003	Shrewsbury Town
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2003–2006	Shrewsbury Town	54	(0)
2006–2018	Manchester City	266	(0)
2007	→ Tranmere Rovers (loan)	6	(0)
2007	→ Blackpool (loan)	5	(0)
2009–2010	→ Birmingham City (loan)	36	(0)
2016–2017	→ Torino (loan)	36	(0)
2017–2018	→ West Ham United (loan)	19	(0)
2018–2020	Burnley	19	(0)
2020–2021	Tottenham Hotspur	0	(0)
2021–2024	Celtic	109	(0)
Total		550	(0)
International career
2005–2006	England U19	6	(0)
2007–2009	England U21	21	(0)
2008–2017	England	75	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Charles Joseph John Hart (born 19 April 1987) is an English football expert and former professional footballer. He played as a goalkeeper.

Joe Hart started his career at his local club, Shrewsbury Town. In 2006, he moved to the Premier League with Manchester City. He also played on loan for other teams like Birmingham City. There, he was even nominated for a top award.

He returned to Manchester City and helped them win the Premier League title in 2012. He also won the Golden Glove award four times. This award is for the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets (games without letting in a goal).

Later, Joe played for Torino, West Ham United, Burnley, and Tottenham Hotspur. In 2021, he joined Celtic in Scotland. He had a very successful time there, winning many trophies. Joe Hart retired from football at the end of the 2023–24 season.

He also played for the England national team from 2010 to 2017. He played in two FIFA World Cups and two UEFA European Championships.

Early Life and Beginnings

Joe Hart was born in Shrewsbury, England. His dad sold gym equipment, and his mum was a nursery school teacher. He went to Oxon Primary School and then Meole Brace School. He was even the head boy in his last year.

As a kid, Joe was also a very good cricket player. He played for Shrewsbury Cricket Club and even spent two years with Worcestershire's youth teams.

Club Career Highlights

Starting at Shrewsbury Town

Joe Hart began his football journey at his hometown club, Shrewsbury Town. He was just 15 when he first traveled with the team. He made his official debut on 20 April 2004, the day after his 17th birthday.

For the 2005–06 season, Joe became the main goalkeeper for Shrewsbury. He played in all 46 league matches. Even though his team let in many goals, Joe's own performances were praised. He even earned his first England under-19 cap. Many big Premier League clubs started to notice him. In 2006, he was named League Two's best goalkeeper by other players.

Moving to Manchester City

Joe Hart joined Manchester City in 2006. He made his first appearance for City on 14 October 2006. He kept a clean sheet in that game, meaning no goals were scored against him.

• Loan Spells and Becoming First-Choice

In 2007, Joe went on loan to Tranmere Rovers and then Blackpool. He played well at Blackpool, helping them win all five games he was in. When he returned, Manchester City's manager, Sven-Göran Eriksson, made him the team's number one goalkeeper. Eriksson said Joe was "one of the biggest talents" in the country.

In January 2009, Shay Given joined City, and Joe became the second-choice keeper.

• Loan to Birmingham City

For the 2009–10 season, Joe Hart went on loan to Birmingham City. He quickly became a key player for them. He helped Birmingham go on a club-record 12-match unbeaten run in the top division. Joe was voted Birmingham City's Player of the Year for that season. He was also named in the PFA Team of the Year, which is a big honor voted by other professional players.

• Winning Trophies with Manchester City

After his successful loan, Joe Hart returned to Manchester City. He became the main goalkeeper for the 2010–11 season. He had an amazing performance in his first game against Tottenham Hotspur, keeping a clean sheet. He continued to play very well, helping City win the 2011 FA Cup Final.

Joe's 18 clean sheets in the 2010–11 season earned him the Premier League Golden Glove award. He also set a new club record for the most clean sheets in a season. In 2011–12, he won the Golden Glove again. He helped City win their first Premier League title in 44 years.

Joe won the Golden Glove for a third time in 2012–13. His form dipped a bit in 2013–14, but he still helped City win the Premier League title again. In 2015, he saved a penalty from Lionel Messi in a Champions League game. Messi even called Hart a "phenomenon." Joe won his fourth Golden Glove award at the end of the 2014–15 season.

Later Career and Retirement

• Loans to Torino and West Ham United

In 2016, a new manager, Pep Guardiola, arrived at Manchester City. Joe Hart was no longer the first-choice goalkeeper. He went on loan to Torino in Italy for the 2016–17 season. He was the first English goalkeeper to play in Italy's Serie A league.

In 2017, he went on loan to West Ham United. He played 19 league games for them.

• Time at Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur

In August 2018, Joe Hart joined Burnley permanently. He played 19 league games in his first season there. However, after other goalkeepers returned from injury, he became a backup again. He left Burnley in June 2020.

In August 2020, Joe signed with Tottenham Hotspur. He played in cup competitions and Europa League games for them.

• Success at Celtic and Retirement

On 3 August 2021, Joe Hart signed a three-year contract with Celtic in Scotland. He quickly became their main goalkeeper. He helped Celtic win the Scottish League Cup in December 2021. In May 2022, he won the Scottish Premiership with Celtic.

During the 2022–23 season, Joe was a key player as Celtic won a domestic treble. This means they won the league, the Scottish League Cup, and the Scottish Cup all in one season.

On 22 February 2024, Joe Hart announced he would retire at the end of the season. His very last professional game was on 25 May 2024. He played in the 2023–24 Scottish Cup final against rivals Rangers, and Celtic won the cup. What a way to finish his career!

International Career for England

Youth Teams

Joe Hart played for England's youth teams. He made his debut for the England under-19 team in September 2005. He also played for the England under-21 team. In 2009, he helped the Under-21 team reach the final of the European Championships. He even saved a penalty in a shootout!

Senior England Team

Joe Hart made his debut for the senior England team on 1 June 2008. He came on as a substitute in a friendly match against Trinidad and Tobago.

Hart playing for England at UEFA Euro 2012

He became England's main goalkeeper from 2010 to 2017. He played in the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Euro 2012. In Euro 2012, he made the most saves of any goalkeeper in the group stage.

Hart (right) playing for England against Uruguay's Luis Suárez at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Joe was also selected for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He played in England's first two group matches. In 2015, he captained England for the first time in a friendly game against Spain.

He was part of England's squad for UEFA Euro 2016. However, he made some mistakes in that tournament. In October 2016, he had one of his best performances for England in a World Cup qualifier against Slovenia.

Joe Hart was not chosen for the 2018 FIFA World Cup squad. He has not played for England since then. He earned 75 caps (appearances) for England. He kept 43 clean sheets, which is the second-highest number in England's history.

Playing Style

In his best years, Joe Hart was considered one of England's top goalkeepers. He was known for his amazing speed and how well he could stop shots. He was also good at rushing out to block shots when opponents were close to goal. In 2015, famous Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon called Hart one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

However, some experts also pointed out that his passing and ability to deal with crosses could be better. He also sometimes made mistakes on long-range shots.

Personal Life

Joe Hart married Kimberly Crew in Florence, Italy, in 2015. They have one son.

In 2018, Joe played cricket for Shrewsbury Cricket Club again. He scored 6 runs and took a catch in the game.

Media Career

After retiring from playing, Joe Hart started working as a football expert. He worked for the BBC during their coverage of UEFA Euro 2024. In August 2024, it was announced that he would join the BBC's Match of the Day program.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances

International Appearances

Honours and Awards

Joe Hart won many trophies and awards during his career:

Shrewsbury Town

• Football Conference play-offs: 2003–04

Manchester City

• Premier League: 2011–12, 2013–14
• FA Cup: 2010–11; runner-up: 2012–13
• Football League Cup: 2013–14, 2015–16

Tottenham Hotspur

• EFL Cup runner-up: 2020–21

Celtic

• Scottish Premiership: 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24
• Scottish Cup: 2022–23, 2023–24
• Scottish League Cup: 2021–22, 2022–23

England U21

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship runner-up: 2009

Individual Awards

• Premier League Golden Glove: 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15
• PFA Team of the Year: 2005–06 League Two, 2009–10 Premier League, 2011–12 Premier League
• Birmingham City Player of the Year: 2009–10
• Manchester City Performance of the Season: 2010–11
• Manchester City Player of the Month: August 2010, March 2015
• PFA Scotland Team of the Year: 2022–23 Premiership

See also

In Spanish: Joe Hart para niños