What former England boss Fabio Capello called Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart

By Euan Davidson

October 12, 2021

Ben Foster has shed light on the strange relationship between current Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart, and former England boss Fabio Capello.

Champions League, Serie A and La Liga winner Capello endured an odd time as the Three Lions’ manager. Despite having a wealth of world-class players, he never quite found the recipe for success.

In a tenure that lasted four and a bit years, Hart was introduced into England reckoning by Capello. However, the Italian managerial legend wasn’t the easiest to get along with.

Speaking on his podcast The Fozcast, Ben Foster revealed that the Hart and Capello didn’t quite see eye to eye, but that wasn’t the Celtic stopper’s fault.

Foster said [The Fozcast]:

“At the time, Joe Hart was the goalkeeper. Joe Hart, if you ever see him, he’s ripped. But [Fabio Capello] used to come up behind him, he didn’t even call him by his right name, he always called him John.

“He’d go “John!” And he’d look at his a*** and do this thing with his hands to say “your a*** is too big!”

“‘Then he’d walk off and Joe would just go “my name’s Joe…”.

At least Celtic stopper Joe Hart has played for some world-class managers, including former England boss Fabio Capello, but…

Well, what do you make of that?

Joe Hart has clearly overcome some significant obstacles in his career. Not least, it seems, a Champions League winning coach critiquing his backside.

Now, without turning into a gossip magazine, let’s speculate on this for a second. Has Joe Hart’s derriere hindered him at Celtic? It’s not really a subject that’s come up amongst the support, as far as this writer can tell.

If Hart is ever criticised (he isn’t often, at the time of writing), his physique hasn’t really come into it. His reactions have been sound, he’s made some game-winning saves, and he’s a fantastic leader on the pitch. How much influence his a*** has had in that is for someone qualified in medicine to really say.

Did Hart’s posterior give Ange Postecoglou any hesitation before signing him? Probably, we’ll never, ever know.

Imagine coming into work and being criticised for your buttocks by someone getting your name wrong.

It just doesn’t bear thinking about. Poor John. I mean, Joe.

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