Joe Hart replaced Hugo Lloris in more ways than one for Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday night.
The former England international kept a clean sheet as Spurs cruised to a 3-0 win over LASK during their Europa League opener in North London.
Hart, who started in between the sticks for Tottenham throughout their qualifying campaign, was again given the nod ahead of Lloris for that clash.
And in addition to replacing the French goalkeeper as far as position goes, he also stepped up in the leadership stakes in the absence of Lloris, according to Football London.
Alasdair Gold writes that the former Manchester City stopper was a constant vocal presence during the 90 minutes, regularly barking instructions and marshalling the defence in front of him.
Gold wrote on Football London: “The loudest man by far at Spurs is Joe Hart. Put simply the man does not shut up.
“The goalkeeper shouts, organises and bellows from before the first whistle until the final one and at one point the 33-year-old even yelled: “He’s behind you.” To be fair to the former England international, Spurs did register their first clean sheet of the season with him between the sticks so it did the trick.”
Tottenham raised an eyebrow or two when they decided to sign the 33-year-old keeper as a free agent during the summer, following his release by Burnley.
But Hart, who has two Premier League titles and five Golden Glove awards under his belt, clearly has a lot to offer on and off the pitch for a club that hasn’t won a trophy since 2008.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
