Pep Guardiola has admitted that allowing Joe Hart to leave Manchester City remains the one decision he wishes he could revisit during his glittering spell at the club.
The City manager, who has overseen one of the most successful periods in English football history, reflected on the controversial departure of Hart while discussing moments from his time at the Etihad Stadium.
Guardiola arrived in Manchester in 2016 with a clear football philosophy and quickly decided the long-serving goalkeeper did not fit the style he wanted to implement.
Hart, who had spent 10 years at City and established himself as one of England’s leading goalkeepers, was informed early in Guardiola’s reign that he was no longer central to the club’s future plans.
The decision shocked many supporters at the time, particularly given Hart’s status as a fan favourite and a multiple Premier League winner.
Guardiola wanted a goalkeeper more comfortable in possession and capable of building attacks from the back. As a result, City moved to sign Claudio Bravo from FC Barcelona, while Hart was sent on loan to Italian side Torino FC.
The England international would never play another competitive match for City. Although Bravo arrived with an impressive reputation following his success in Spain, his first season in the Premier League proved difficult as he struggled to adapt to the pace and physical demands of English football.
City responded by signing Ederson the following summer, a move that transformed Guardiola’s system.
Ederson became one of the defining figures of City’s modern era, helping the club dominate domestic football and collect a remarkable number of trophies under Guardiola’s leadership.
Despite that success, Guardiola now believes he should have handled Hart’s situation differently.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Guardiola revealed that the departure of Hart has remained in his thoughts for years.
“I wanna confess something. I have just one (regret),” Guardiola said.
“I have regrets when you take a lot of decisions, a lot, a lot of decisions, you make mistakes. But there is one regret that I have hid deep inside for many years.”
The City manager explained that he wishes he had given Hart the opportunity to fight for his place before deciding on a permanent separation.
“I didn’t give Joe Hart the chance to be with me, to prove himself how good (of) a goalkeeper he was. And I should have done,” he added.
“Not because – all respect to Claudio, all respect for Edi, who came in and was important – but in that moment, I thought, ‘Okay, Joe, let’s try to do it together and if it doesn’t work, then okay, we change it because it happened’.
“But it happened. You know, life is sometimes, I have to take decisions and sometimes I’m not fair enough.”
Hart’s difficult road after leaving City
Hart’s departure marked the beginning of a challenging period in his career. After his season in Serie A with Torino, he returned to England for a loan spell with West Ham United.
However, he struggled to regain the consistency that had once made him the country’s first-choice goalkeeper.
During his time at West Ham, Hart lost his place in the England squad and was omitted from the national team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, with Jordan Pickford emerging as England’s new No.1.
Although his departure from City was abrupt, Hart’s achievements at the club ensured his place among the team’s modern greats.
He won two Premier League titles, one FA Cup and two League Cups, while also collecting four Premier League Golden Glove awards.
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Guardiola himself described Hart as a “legend” when he left the club, acknowledging the enormous contribution he had made before the managerial transition.
Hart later reflected on the situation and admitted he found the experience frustrating rather than personal.
Speaking on the High Performance Podcast, the former goalkeeper said he understood Guardiola’s football vision even if it ultimately worked against him.
“It wasn’t painful, it was frustrating,” Hart said.
“But it was a great man, Pep Guardiola, that had a vision I didn’t fit into. It was frustrating… what he said is, ‘That’s a good goalkeeper, but he isn’t for me’ which is what it is.”
Following spells with Burnley FC and Tottenham Hotspur, Hart revived the final stage of his career in Scotland with Celtic FC, where he added more silverware before retiring from professional football.
