City keeper Hart makes Torino move on season-long loan

Joe Williams

England goalkeeper Joe Hart has joined Torino on a season-long loan from Manchester City, the Premier League club have announced.

The 29-year-old has been frozen out at the Etihad Stadium after Pep Guardiola’s arrival at the club this summer.

Claudio Bravo’s transfer to City from Barcelona was the last straw for Hart and Guardiola gave him permission to seek a move to another club.

City called him ‘a key figure in a golden age in the Club’s history’ on their official website.

Hart himself said: “Suddenly, my career has undergone a change, I took it as a sign of destiny, so I had to do something…

“The offer from Torino came at the right time, in the right way. I’m very happy to be able to test myself in a beautiful and difficult League like Serie A. Your goalkeeping tradition is recognised throughout the world, so I’m convinced I can learn a lot here at Toro.

“For that reason, I immediately accepted President Cairo’s offer with great enthusiasm. In terms of the staff, I already know Lombardo, I worked together with Attillio in Manchester and we won, we hope to relive a lot of wonderful emotions together.

“I read some interviews from Toro, the Coach [Sinisa Mihajlovic] wants humble but ambitious players – I also really like that, that’s how I want to be.”