Joe Hart: Man City goalkeeper hails 'special night' after reaching Champions League
Last updated on .From the section Man City
Joe Hart says helping Manchester City reach the group stage of the Champions League on possibly his last appearance for the club was "a special night".
Hart, expected to leave with Claudio Bravo close to signing, was applauded by home supporters throughout the 1-0 second leg win over Steaua Bucharest.
"We've a top manager and he's going to have his opinion on things," added Hart, after City's 6-0 aggregate win.
City boss Pep Guardiola said: "I know Joe is a legend for this club."
Hart, 29, was dropped by Guardiola for the first three games of the season but was handed the captain's armband before marking his first start of the season with a clean sheet.
At one point in the second half, the Etihad reverberated to chants of: "Stand up if you love Joe Hart".
He responded by shaking his head and touching the club badge on his shirt.
"That was a really special night for me," said Hart, who joined City in 2006 and has won two Premier League titles, two League Cups and one FA Cup.
"We all know there is a situation going on but I feel that inside, outside of all the circus, we are handling it well.
"Tonight was really nice. I really appreciate the people at Manchester City and it turns out they appreciate me.
"This is a special place for me, I've made no secret of that. Situations occur in football. We are men and we get on with it."
Asked if he might be leaving, Hart added: "That's not for me to say."
Guardiola is expected to complete the signing of Barcelona keeper Bravo in the next few days. Bravo flew into Manchester on Tuesday for a medical.
"I'm here to take decisions," said Guardiola. "I can't deny what I feel. I was honest with Joe, the club and myself.
"I can completely understand if the fans are not happy. Joe did a lot with this club in the years he's been here, more than I have done.
"I know part of what the club has become, one of the reasons is Joe. They won the Premier League, the cup. He helped to make this team one step above.
"I am so happy how the people treat him and love him."
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After a tough Euros and now this situation at Man City, he can't be feeing great about things, but he seems willing to take it all on the chin and move on.
Good luck to him.
£100,000+ a week - anywhere would be special especially for Joe Public earning £20,000 a year!
I'm sick of the EPL greed and vacuous football.
There is no room for sentiment in the game. If you have a better player available then you should pick them instead
It's a plastic club. No soul.
@Roly - "blah blah...Baffled why people still pay to watch this farce of a game".
I'm Baffled as to why you're reading a football article.
It's no longer our National game. It's a rich man's plaything.
You need to get out more...
What you spend your time on is your own business, I just found it baffling that you’d spend it commenting on something you clearly dislike and have no interest in. If you feel you’re gaining some kind of revenge on some trolls, then good on you. I find a swim or a walk clears my head.
On another note, how pathetic were the BBC for their sensationalist article and coverage of JOE HART VS STEAU BUCHAREST.
"JOE HART CLEAN SHEET HELPS CITY IN GROUP STAGES"
Pathetic journalism that we the people are paying to fund. Maybe it's below par because the 20,000 journalists BBC Flew to RIO (business class) haven't returned yet.
Pep and Hart have both handled this with as much dignity as possible.
Everyone of their opponents ranked lower than England before the tournament started
Spar.....Costco...Morrisons...Asda...Aldi.....Lidl..and err Iceland........oh dear.....