Given tells City boss Pep to bring back Hart

Pep Guardiola’s decision to sign Claudio Bravo and ship Joe Hart off on loan looks like being a costly mistake for Manchester City, and ex-Citizens shot-stopper Shay Given has urged the Spaniard to recall England’s number one.

Hart was sent on loan to Serie A club Torino, where he has so far impressed, but Bravo, who was signed to offer better distribution from the back, has been unable to fill his boots.

The Chilean’s shot-stopping ability has been called into question after Everton beat them 4-0 on Sunday, with all of their shots on target finding the back of the net.

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And Stoke keeper Given, who played for City between 2009-11, has told the club they need to bring Hart in from the cold at the earliest opportunity.

“Joe was maybe harshly treated at the start of the season. But he is still on the books, he is still a Manchester City player,” he said.

“Yaya Toure, for the first three or four months he wasn’t getting a look in and he managed to change Guardiola’s mind. Why can Joe Hart not do that?

“Maybe bring him back in January and have a look at him at least this season before he [Guardiola] makes another decision in the summer.”