Man City legend Joe Hart rejects return to football as he makes 'not healthy' admission
Joe Hart has explained how his one-off goalkeeping role came about and revealed why he will not be returning to the game in a permanent capacity.
The former England and Manchester City number one hit headlines recently when he stepped in as the goalkeeping coach for Shrewsbury Town, his former club where he played 58 times before getting his big Premier League move in 2006.
Since retirement, Hart has been busy working as a pundit for the likes of TNT Sports and BBC's Match of the Day but last week he made an impromptu appearance back in Salop's kit and warmed up goalkeepers Matthew Cox and Will Brook.
Former Burnley goalkeeper Brian Jensen recently left as goalkeeping coach and a vacancy appeared. Hart is still friends with Shrewsbury manager Gavin Cowan after playing together more than two decades ago and offered his services for their 2-1 win over Salford City.
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The 38-year-old informed his boyhood club that he would not be coming back in a full-time capacity and they have since brought back Harry Burgoyne as their new goalkeeping coach.
"That was one night and one night only," Hart told SPORTbible ahead of TNT Sports' coverage of City vs Nottingham Forest.
“From the moment I left, I'm from Shrewsbury and within two years I didn't know anyone at the club and that's not me moaning, that's just how at that level people come and go.
“It all rotates, managers leave and I've never really had the connection but it's my town, it's where I'm from, I've always had an eye on them.
“They've been really struggling, came into League Two last year from League One, just dropped like a stone. There was no connection, a lot of loan players.
“My family still go to the games, they just said, ‘It just feels dead’.
"My friend Gav Cowan who's got the job has been doing an incredible job in Non League. I played with him at Shrewsbury back in 2004, whenever it was.
“He's an Essex boy but he's not moved from Shrewsbury since and built businesses. They got the job and there was a few changes behind the scenes. The goalkeeper coach left and they didn't have the finances or didn't have the power to bring someone in permanently yet.
"So we were just trying to get match day goalkeepers, I was trying to help my friends to organise that.
“And I said, ‘Look if I am available on a night and you need me I can do that’ - but just understanding that it would be a one night and one night only kind of thing whilst you get on your feet.
“The stars aligned, I could do Salford, we didn't say anything because the club and the team were doing really well.
“So I just warmed the goalies up, did my best to help them and left them to it.”
Hart's only game as a goalkeeping coach did not result in a clean sheet but Shrewsbury picked up a fifth league win in a row to move further away from the relegation zone.
He continued: “I was really nervous for the team because I didn't want to take anything away from what they were doing. And obviously it's super serious, they're in a relegation battle at the bottom of League two.
“I think Gavin Cowan handled it really well, the club handled it really well. I was literally just looking after friends and trying to help the goalkeepers because sometimes you have to get warmed up by the kit man or whatever.
“I wanted to just give them a bit of quality, get them as set as I possibly could and then leave them to it.
“They've got the goalie coach now so they've got the full backroom stuff sorted.”
The two-time Premier League winner's last competitive game in between the sticks was with Celtic against Rangers as he signed off a decorated, trophy-laden career with a seventh major honour and lifted the Scottish Cup.
There have been some attempts to convince him to put the gloves back on and turn out for the stacked Wythenshawe Vets team, which is taking the Cheshire Veterans Football League by storm.
Many of his former teammates are enjoying rolling back the years, including Stephen Ireland, Joleon Lescott and Nedum Onouha, alongside the likes of Papiss Cisse, Oumar Niasse, George Boyd, Danny Drinkwater and Maynor Figueroa.
But Hart, capped 75 times for England, does not want to be back in the environment again .
“No, I don't really have any interest in playing," he admitted.
"I love the game but I'm an all in kind of guy and that's why I loved being able to do what I did the other night because it was very much one night only.
“If I were to ever play for a team, cricket team, football team, I'd just go into exactly the same mode that I did as a professional and that's not healthy for anyone. I'll leave them to it.
“I'm buzzing for them. They seem dead happy, dead happy, enjoying it. They're not hurting anyone. Good for them, but stuff like that's not for me."
He has been confirmed to play in Soccer Aid again and would relish the opportunity to play in a testimonial for one his legendary ex City colleagues like Sergio Aguero or David Silva.
Yet after a 21-year professional career, Hart prefers to enjoy the game from a different viewpoint and will only make rare exceptions for going back in goal.
“For the right reason, I'd do anything for my friends. I've played for the Celtic Foundation. I've played in Soccer Aid. I love it. I'll do anything for a good cause and for the right reasons.
“But I just mean from a team point of view like Wythenshawe. One, I'd be taking someone's place who loves playing in goal - I wouldn't want to do that.
“And two, just commitment wise, like the goalkeeping coach, if you need me to swoop in and do something for a good cause, of course I'll do it.
“But I just don't want to be in that everyday world again.”
In addition to his punditry commitments, Hart also has a new project called 'Mind over Everything', where he has immersed himself into the worlds of a multitude of different athletes - including boxer Callum Smith, MMA fighter Dakota Ditcheva and strongman Luke Stoltman.
Hart spends time with people at the very top of their field in a docuseries and podcast which explores their "elite mindset, resilience and overcoming adversity in sport and entertainment"
Hart explained: “I absolutely adore it. You asked me if I wanted to play in goal, I don't. Do I want to do that every single day? Absolutely.
“I love going into other people's worlds, finding out what makes them special. I'm really enjoying the interviewing side of it. I don't really like talking about myself.
“I like checking on other people and probing and testing them. So that side of it I really do enjoy."
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Josh Lawless