Football
PA Sport 7y

Joe Hart only focused on impressing Slaven Bilic, Gareth Southgate

Joe Hart insists he is motivated by playing football rather than money as he prepares to make his West Ham debut at Manchester United on Sunday.

The England international goalkeeper was once again deemed surplus to requirements at parent club Manchester City and will instead spend the campaign on loan at the London Stadium.

Hart, 30, joined Serie A outfit Torino on a similar deal last season as City boss Pep Guardiola brought in Claudio Bravo from Barcelona.

This summer he has moved to sign Brazil Under-23 international Ederson from Benfica for a huge fee, meaning Hart was once again left looking at his options.

A permanent move failed to materialise, with the former Shrewsbury youngster opting to join the Hammers for a year instead.

"The permanent move was going to be difficult," said Hart.

"I don't think there were too many options for me to go on a permanent, if any. That was my ideal situation. When you've asked me questions I've always answered honestly, and ideally I wanted to be signing a permanent deal somewhere so I could set my life up and have a direction.

"When you become a professional footballer there is no written contract that says you have to play first-team football.

"It's a job at the end of the day but there are a lot of us, myself included, who just love playing football and I'm just lucky that it's my job.

"It's a short career. The money side of it is great and it is important, but at the end of the day I'm a young guy, I want to play football, that's all I want to do. If going on loan is what needs to happen then for me that's fine.

"The game moves quickly, there are plenty of people who have been in my situation and you have two choices. You can either moan about it and you can make smart comments and try to work out why it was done, or you can just get on with it. I've taken the latter."

Playing regularly is even more important for Hart in a World Cup year, with the competition to be Gareth Southgate's first-choice for the Three Lions at a peak.

Hart, sporting a bruised eye as he addressed the media following a training ground collision with Andy Carroll, has established himself for his country but that position could come under threat from the likes of Fraser Forster, Tom Heaton and Jordan Pickford.

"I'm trying to make a point to Slaven Bilic, he's my coach," he said.

"I'm trying to make my point to Gareth Southgate, they're my coaches, they're the people whose opinions I care about.

"I've always said the standard of keepers in England is very high. It's a privileged position to play for the country.

"Every single time I've put on that No. 1 jersey I have been very proud and very excited for what comes with it."

Hart starts his West Ham career at United on Sunday, with former Red Devils striker Javier Hernandez also set to make his Hammers bow against his former club.

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