HART HAPPY TO KEEP CLEAN SHEET
England Under-21s goalkeeper Joe Hart is delighted that he has conceded only one goal en route to a play-off game, to be played in October, and hopefully the European Championships, which take place in Sweden next May and June. He also backed Aston Villa forward Gabriel Agbonlahor to break into the seniors soon.
The 21-year-old Manchester City stopper leaked only one goal - a penalty away to Portugal in a 1-1 draw - in England's eight-game qualifying group. After defeating the Portuguese 2-0 - thanks to goals from Agbonlahor and James Milner, also of Aston Villa - in the return game at Wembley last Friday night, England ended topping the group having dropped only two points.
Hart, who made his senior debut for Fabio Capello's side in June's friendly against Trinidad and Tobago, is happy to be with the U-21s and is confident that the team can make it to Sweden.
After the Portugal victory, Hart said: "It feels good to win. We came here to do a job. Obviously it is even nicer to do it at Wembley but we won and we won the group now.
"It's good for me and it's good for the whole team to only concede one goal. We defend as a unit - it's not just me and the back four; it's the whole 11. We have Gabby [Agbonlahor] up there working his nuts off so it makes it easier for us.
"I think the seniors have a handful of good strikers and Gabby is knocking on that door. He is a bullet."
When asked whether he would prefer to be with the seniors in Barcelona on Saturday, as they start their World Cup qualifying campaign against Andorra, he continued: "No I'm not bothered. As
long as I'm in an England shirt I don't mind. It's nice to be playing and it is what I want to be doing."
England Under-21s goalkeeper Joe Hart is delighted that he has conceded only one goal en route to a play-off game, to be played in October, and hopefully the European Championships, which take place in Sweden next May and June. He also backed Aston Villa forward Gabriel Agbonlahor to break into the seniors soon.
The 21-year-old Manchester City stopper leaked only one goal - a penalty away to Portugal in a 1-1 draw - in England's eight-game qualifying group. After defeating the Portuguese 2-0 - thanks to goals from Agbonlahor and James Milner, also of Aston Villa - in the return game at Wembley last Friday night, England ended topping the group having dropped only two points.
Hart, who made his senior debut for Fabio Capello's side in June's friendly against Trinidad and Tobago, is happy to be with the U-21s and is confident that the team can make it to Sweden.
After the Portugal victory, Hart said: "It feels good to win. We came here to do a job. Obviously it is even nicer to do it at Wembley but we won and we won the group now.
"It's good for me and it's good for the whole team to only concede one goal. We defend as a unit - it's not just me and the back four; it's the whole 11. We have Gabby [Agbonlahor] up there working his nuts off so it makes it easier for us.
"I think the seniors have a handful of good strikers and Gabby is knocking on that door. He is a bullet."
When asked whether he would prefer to be with the seniors in Barcelona on Saturday, as they start their World Cup qualifying campaign against Andorra, he continued: "No I'm not bothered. As
long as I'm in an England shirt I don't mind. It's nice to be playing and it is what I want to be doing."
Labels: Dutch football, England Under-21s, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Joe Hart
