Joe Hart has revealed the brutal conversation he shared with Nuno Espirito Santo that led to his Tottenham exit.
The former England goalkeeper was halfway through a two-year deal in north London when the Portuguese boss arrived last summer, before delivering a damning assessment of the 34-year-old’s abilities.
“There was a big change going on at Tottenham,” Hart recalled on the In The Stiffs podcast. “They needed a lot of people out and a lot of people in. [Nuno] proceeded to call me in.
“I knew they were signing another goalkeeper and I was like, ‘Do we need to have a conversation?’ He said that we'd speak after training.
“He was like, ‘I'll speak first. Let's be absolutely clear, no matter what happens, you'll not kick a ball this year’.
“I had got on really well at the club, people had bought into what I was trying to bring and I was like, ‘Right, okay’. He said you'll be free to work with the sporting director to get yourself out. However you want to play it, play it.”
Hart was quickly moved on to Scottish Premiership side Celtic, where he has become the first-choice goalkeeper and won the League Cup amid a title fight with Rangers.
In his place, Tottenham signed Pierluigi Gollini to serve as back-up to Hugo Lloris, although Nuno was eventually dispensed with himself less than three months later.
He continued: “[Nuno] just went, ‘In my opinion, we all reach a point in our career where the body won't allow you to play football. We're at it now. I would not feel comfortable with you playing one minute for me.
“‘The ball's too quick for you, you're too old, you're not moving, you've got no strength in your body’.
“I literally went home and I am completely baffled here, I think I'm done, I can't be a***d anymore. I can’t sit in a room anymore and have that said to me by him.”
