Hart is hoping his move will guarantee first-team football after slipping down the pecking order further following the signing of Claudio Bravo from Barcelona last week.
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Everton, Sevilla and Borussia Dortmund have all been linked with the England global, but Torino emerged as the surprising candidates for his future.
“Joe Hart is an global goalkeeper with a considerable experience in Manchester City Football Club and in his national team, where he made his debut when he was only 21”, said Torino president Urbano Cairo.
Cairo said: “Joe Hart is a top global goalkeeper with substantial experience both with Manchester City and with the England national team, in which he even debuted at the age of 21”.
Attilio Lombardo, who was part of Roberto Mancini’s backroom staff at City and is now assistant to Torino coach Sinisa Mihajlovic, is thought to have played a key part in the move.
“It was a sign”. “The offer from Torino arrived at the right moment, in the right way. I am very excited to compare myself in an important and attractive league such as Serie A”, Hart said to the club’s official website.
“The goalkeeping school here is known around the world, so I am convinced I can still learn a lot here. I’ve read a few interviews about Toro and the coach wants his players to be humble and ambitious, and I like this a lot because that is how I want to be”. “I really like this too, that’s how I want to be”.
Cairo has claimed that the signing of the City legend is a statement of the club’s ambitions for the future.
The 27-year-old told Sky Sports News: “It is a good club with good players and I am happy to join the team”.
“His transfer to Torino makes us proud and demonstrates our willingness to build a team more competitive”.
“We did not hesitate when we had the possibility to start a negotiation with Manchester City”.
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“Hart, in addition to talent, brings with it the humility of the strong, the enthusiasm of those who can get daily challenged to deserve a space as a protagonist: the same stimuli that urge us all his companions, so for this reason, and on behalf of the entire Company we are pleased to welcome Joe Hart with a warm welcome”. These are the same features that characterise our club.
