‘Not comfortable with you playing one minute for me’ – Joe Hart reveals brutal chat with Nuno leading to Tottenham exit
JOE HART has revealed the stunning conversation he had with Spurs manager Nuno Espirito Santo before leaving the club.
The former England keeper secured a move to Celtic last summer after one season with the Lilywhites – where he was used as their Europa League shot-stopper.
And Hart has now confirmed that a brutal chat with boss Nuno informed his swift departure.
Speaking on the In The Stiffs Podcast, he said: “There was a big change going on at Tottenham. They needed a lot of people out and a lot of people in. [Nuno] proceeded to call me in.
“I knew they were signing another goalkeeper and I was like: ‘Do we need to have a conversation?’ He said that we’d speak after training.
“He was like: ‘I’ll speak first. Let’s be absolutely clear, no matter what happens, you’ll not kick a ball this year.’
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“I had got on really well at the club, people had bought into what I was trying to bring and I was like: ‘Right, okay.’
“He said: ‘You’ll be free to work with the sporting director to get yourself out. However you want to play it, play it.’
“I said: ‘Just out of interest, remove yourself from the situation, you used to be a goalkeeper, why has it come to this? Why have I gone from being whoever I was to being completely surplus to requirements in a squad, to not even being able to back up the first-choice? Speak freely.’
“He just went: ‘In my opinion, we all reach a point in our career where the body won’t allow you to play football. We’re at it now. I would not feel comfortable with you playing one minute for me. The ball’s too quick for you, you’re too old, you’re not moving, you’ve got no strength in your body.’”
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Hart then explained what he was feeling at that moment after such a damning verdict from his manager.
He added: “He literally buried me and I’m laughing because, whether I’m deluded or not, I was like: ‘I don’t agree with any of that. I asked for your opinion, you have given it, it’s not what I wanted to hear and I am going to have to take myself out of this situation.’
“I literally went home and I am completely baffled here, I think I’m done, I can’t be a***d anymore.
“I went back in the next day and said: ‘The first bit, you are the manager, you make your decision. The rest of it was out of order.’
“It’s done. I’m not going to be a problem. I intend to train hard every day and find some sort of solution. It was just dealing with another problem for him. He’s a manager and needed to clear wood. I was part of that wood.
“He made his decision and backed it. Good for him. He was the boss and I’m out.”
Hart has been a first team regular since arriving in Scotland, playing 27 of their 31 Scottish Premiership games so far this season.
Meanwhile, Nuno was sacked just 10 Premier League games into the campaign and replaced by Antonio Conte.