10 Notable Absentees From England’s World Cup Squad

What a terrible couple of years it has been for Joe Hart. Ousted at Man City by Pep Guardiola, who clearly had some kind of sixth sense about the England stopper's imminent demise, Hart went on to have a terrible time in Torino and then couldn't even hold down the number one spot at West Ham.

It's no surprise, therefore, that he hasn't been selected to accompany the Three Lions to Russia, with Jordan Pickford, Jack Butland, and the excellent Nick Pope chosen ahead of him. Only a few years ago, Hart was celebrating his fourth Golden Glove award in the Premier League and had consistently proven to be a real rock for both Man City and the national side, but his form took a major dip in subsequent seasons.

Few would argue that Hart should be England's starting stopper, but an argument could be made in favour of him going to Russia. He has a lot of experience at international level and is clearly a big personality in the dressing room. His strong mentality and confident attitude could have played a part in encouraging the younger players.