Hart saves his best for City

The all-star circus that surrounds Manchester City and their quest for the Premier League title offers so many larger-than-life characters and off-field dramas that it can be tempting to miss arguably the best footballer currently plying his trade at Eastlands.

Joe Hart, the current number one England goalkeeper, has grown in stature this season as City have swapped an early-season promenade through the division for a mid-winter slog and alarming January dip.

His form has reached the point where, in the wake of John Terry’s removal from the England captaincy on Friday, there has been a significant groundswell for the undisputed national team number one to be named as his successor.