Drop Hart and England will lose a leader, warns Burridge

SINGAPORE — The mood was tense in the players’ tunnel prior to kick-off between England and Wales in last Thursday (June 16)’s Euro 2016 Group B match. But Joe Hart stood out when he was captured by television cameras swearing loudly in an attempt to fire up his England team-mates up for the crunch match.

Close to two hours later, as the England players trumped off the pitch celebrating a dramatic late 2-1 win, Hart appeared a stark contrast to his previous fired-up self as he bore the look of someone drenched in relief.

When quizzed by reporters about the win, the 29-year-old replied with a smile, “Why do you want to talk to me? I am the villain, go talk to the heroes.”

And a villain he so nearly was. 

With the match goalless and heading into half time, Wales were awarded a free kick some 35m out from goal. 

Gareth Bale stepped up and powered a seemingly harmless free kick with venom towards Hart but instead of comfortably catching the ball or punching it to safety, the Manchester City custodian somehow allowed it to trickle past his hands into the back of the net.

While it did not prove costly eventually, Hart bore the brunt of criticism from former premier league goalkeepers Peter Schmeichel and Jens Lehmann, while some annoyed England fans took to social media to call for Hart to be dropped for tomorrow morning’s match against Slovakia.

However, former Crystal Palace and Newcastle United goalkeeper John Burridge told TODAY that while Hart did make a right mess of Bale’s free kick, it will be foolish to drop him, especially at a major tournament.

“Agreed, Joe made a mistake with Bale’s free kick because he should have moved his feet faster,” said the 64-year-old who played 771 games in the English and Scottish leagues in a 28-year career from 1969 to 1997.

“But to drop him solely based on that would be ridiculous, and would totally shatter his confidence.”

The former Singapore national goalkeeper coach, who is now based in Oman, added: “I have known Joe ever since his early days at Manchester City and I can tell you that he has a fantastic character. From five-a-side matches to training matches to competitive matches, he wants to win everything, such is his mentality.”

Should England coach Roy Hodgson choose to drop Hart, he can turn to Southampton’s Fraser Forster – who has six caps for the Three Lions as opposed to Hart’s 61 or Burnley’s Tom Heaton, whose sole England appearance came in a three-minute cameo against Australia last month.

His talent aside, Burridge believes England will lose a leader if Hart is dropped.

“Joe is more than a goalkeeper, he is a motivator and a leader. Did you see him in the tunnel prior to the Wales match all fired up?” explained Burridge. 

“Fraser is a good goalkeeper but he cannot do the job that Joe does. Every football team needs a confident goalkeeper who is fearless and dependable, and when that is missing, the team will crumble. 

“That is the last thing England need in a major tournament.”

In fact, Burridge fancies Hart to bounce back immediately against Slovakia with a solid display in goal.

“Knowing him, Joe will be determined to keep a clean sheet,” he said.  “Most goalkeepers put previous mistakes past them but he is always willing to work hard to ensure he does not make them again. 

“I am tipping him to bounce back strongly.”