Before Joe Hart moved to Manchester City from Shrewsbury in 2006, there were a host of Premier League clubs looking at him. Among them were Arsenal, with the club sending their goalkeeping coach to scout the youngster. By the end of the 2005/2006 season, Hart had been voted the best goalkeeper in League Two by his fellow professionals, while also turning out for Englands youth sides. Boss Gary Peters admitted that Everton, Chelsea and Arsenal were all circling in on the goalkeeper. However, it was Manchester City who won the race for his signature, signing him for a fee which would rise to £1.5 million. He would go on to become Englands number one and a lynchpin of Citys title-winning sides.
Simon is an NCTJ qualified sports journalist. He has conducted interviews with Tony Adams and Peter Shilton, while also having work published in The Daily Telegraph and The Sun. Follow him on Twitter via @sr_collings.
