Burnley goalkeeper Joe Hart has said that he has not given up on a potential comeback with the England national side despite being out of the radar for the past year. The 31-year-old previously featured for the Three Lions during an international friendly against Brazil in2017, and he has since fallen out of contention with the likes of Jordan Pickford, Alex McCarthy and Jack Butland preferred ahead of him.
Meanwhile, Burnley teammate Nick Pope was another whose performances earned him a route to the World Cup as England-choice keeper, but a shoulder injury to him during per-season has ended up benefiting Hart, who has made the most number of saves than any Premier League shot-stopper since joining the Clarets.
Speaking in a news conference, Hart suggested that he has not given up on representing the national team and he is prepared to wait for a potential recall based on the current run of form with-the Clarets, he said:“I am going to play to the highest level that I can play to. Whether I get picked in an England squad that’s not down to me unfortunately and that has been proven.
“I’ve had my reasons that I have not been in the squad previous to the World Cup and I don’t know if they quite match upafter the World Cup. But that’s not for me to worry about. That’s for manager sand what they get paid for. I’m just going to keep performing to my highest level. I always want to play for England, always want to be part of the England team.”
Despite Hart’s best efforts, Burnley have endured a tough Premier League campaign after the opening 13 matches and they are currently just one point adrift of the drop zone. The defence was their key strength last season with just an average of one goal conceded but that has not happened this time around with 27 goals already shipped from 13 games.