England goalkeeper Hart has completed his anticipated season-long loan move to Torino with striker Bony joining Stoke until the end of the campaign.
Advertisement
Joe Hart, Wilfried Bony, Eliaquim Mangala and Sami Nasri left the Etihad Stadium on season-long loans after being told they were not part of Pep Guardiola’s plans.
Joe Hart leaves after a decade of services and success for the Citizens, winning the Premier League twice, the FA Cup once and the League Cup on two occasions.
The England goalkeeper will be a starter at Torino and will fight with his new team-mates to occupy a position that secures a place to compete in the European championships.
The development led to Italian side Torino launching a surprise move for Hart, and he flew to Italy on Tuesday before being unveiled as a new signing of deadline day, less than 12 hours before the cut-off for any transfer business this summer.
Hart told the Serie A side’s website, torinofc.it: “Suddenly my career has taken a turn. It’s been a hard few weeks but that will never cloud the unbelievable journey and experience your great club has given to me”, the 29-year-old wrote.
“The tournament [Euro 2016] didn’t go particularly well for him, and he’s better than that, and I think going to Torino, there will be a lot more pressure on him than he thinks. That’s also why I immediately accepted President Cairo’s offer with great enthusiasm”.
“In the staff I already know [Attilio] Lombardo, who I worked with in Manchester and won, so we hope to relive many lovely emotions together”.
Hart, who is already familiar with assistant coach Attilio Lombardo from the Italian’s work at Manchester City, added, “I’ve read about Torino, the coach wants the players who are humble but ambitious – even that I really like and that’s how I want to be”.
He was made captain for City’s Champions League play-off game against Steaua Bucharest last week and bade an emotional farewell to the club’s supporters.
Hart has been training with England ahead of their World Cup qualifier with Slovakia on Sunday, but was given special dispensation to travel to Italy to complete a medical. “I always had a wonderful relationship with the fans and I am looking forward to wearing the blue shirt at Stamford Bridge once again”. “I like that. That’s how I want to be”.
Advertisement
“From the moment I signed in 2006 the club and its fans have given me football and life experiences I could never have imagined and I am so thankful for that”.
