Hart’s teammate Joel Obi has been mightily impressed with the on-loan Manchester City goalkeeper’s performances for the Serie A side.
Torino midfielder Joel Obi has told Football Italia that the club have acquired a ‘Rolls Royce’ in goalkeeper Joe Hart, after the England number one’s impressive form for The Bulls following his shock switch to the Serie A side at the end of the summer transfer window.
Hart has played every minute of Torino’s six matches since arriving from the Etihad Stadium at the end of August, and his commanding displays have helped propel his new side into fourth spot in Serie A, ahead of the likes of Napoli and Lazio.
The Manchester City legend was controversially made available for transfer following Pep Guardiola’s arrival at the Etihad Stadium in the summer, with the pioneering Spanish coach deeming Hart’s distribution to be well below the standard that is required of a goalkeeper in one of his possession-based sides.
The former Bayern Munich manager’s widely-disputed decision did not go down well with many sections of The Citizens’ faithful.
Sky Blues’ fans adorned loving banners and chanted the England international’s name throughout his last appearance for the club against Steaua Bucharest, a touching display of gratitude which prompted an emotional reaction from the former Shrewsbury stopper.
However, Hart has quickly bounced back from the disappointment of being exiled by Guardiola by rediscovering his best form at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino, and Bulls’ midfielder Joel Obi has waxed lyrical about the positive impact the affable 29-year-old has had at his new club.
Speaking to Football Italia the Nigeria international enthused: “To have a goalkeeper like him changed the mood in the dressing room,
“We felt like we’d bought a Rolls-Royce and the confidence level went through the roof.
“He’s hard-working and just got straight down to business from day one. You would think he has been a part of the club for a couple of years.”
The Three Lions are also reaping the benefits of Hart’s new lease of life with Torino, with the experienced goalkeeper making a series of stupendous saves during a man-of-the-match performance against Slovenia earlier this month.
Guardiola’s decision to exile Hart from the City squad has come under intense scrutiny in recent weeks, with the England stopper’s replacement Claudio Bravo dropping a series of costly clangers since moving to Manchester from Barcelona, including a red card in the Sky Blues’ 4-0 Champions League mauling at the Nou Camp on Wednesday night.
Whether Hart’s formidable form for Torino can provoke Guardiola to reconsider his position on the 29-year-old’s City future remains to be seen. However, the former Birmingham City loanee deserves great credit for the way he has seamlessly adapted to life in a new league and country, and it is refreshing to see an Englishman having such success on foreign soil.
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