Goalkeeper Joe Hart keen to enjoy England success during international career

Goalkeeper Joe Hart says he has “failed” in his England career until now.

The 30-year-old made his England debut in June 2008 and has 73 caps, winning 45 times and losing on eight occasions.

One of those defeats came at Euro 2016 to minnows Iceland, when Hart’s blunder proved costly.

Reflecting on his England career to date, Hart told The Offside Rule podcast: “It was something I didn’t need to dream about – because I didn’t think it was possible.

“The next thing after that is to do something with your England career and make it matter. I have failed up until now so I need to change that.”

Hart is one of four goalkeepers in the England squad for the final World Cup qualifiers with Slovenia on Thursday and Lithuania on Sunday.

He has kept the number one jersey, but, given West Ham have two wins from seven Premier League games, his place could be in jeopardy, with Everton’s Jordan Pickford, Stoke’s Jack Butland and Fraser Foster of Southampton also in the squad.

Hart added: “I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to play every game and I don’t want to influence every game, but that might not be possible.

“I want to amass as many caps as I can, I want to be the goalkeeper who plays for England, but I would swap all of that for a trophy or playing an important role in a good summer for the nation. That’s my only intention when I play for England.”

Hart spent last season on loan in Serie A at Torino and is this term at West Ham after being deemed surplus to requirements under Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.

Hart says City demanded too high a fee for him to make a permanent move, which would have been his preference. His City contract expires in June 2019.

He added: “I would have loved to have signed somewhere permanent: I want to be set, I want to have goals and be driven…

“But there was too much money put on my head and people weren’t willing to pay it so another loan came about.

“I was very grateful when West Ham gave me the opportunity, so it’s another case of getting my head down and working hard and fighting for the cause.”

Hart enjoyed his spell in Turin, but one thing that annoyed him was what he was called.

His full name is Charles Joseph John Hart and he was listed on his first official teamsheet as ‘John Hart’.

Hart added: “I was called consistently John (by former England boss Fabio Capello) which infuriated me. Then I moved to Italy and they all called me John.”

You can listen to the full interview with Joe Hart from new podcast series The Offside Rule Exclusives via Audioboom and iTunes.