Despite winning the Premier League crown together at Manchester City, one 12-year club veteran has admitted he never shared a conversation with his fellow title-winner
(TL-R) Matija Nastasic, Yaya Toure, Javi Garcia, Vincent Kompany, Joe Hart, Samir Nasri
(FL-R) Gael Clichy, Pablo Zabaleta, Gareth Barry, Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez during the Champions League match between Manchester City and Ajax
Joe Hart "never had a conversation" with Carlos Tevez during their days at Manchester City
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Two-time Premier League champion Joe Hart has admitted he "never had a conversation" with Carlos Tevez during their stint together at Manchester City. The former England shot-stopper confessed he never engaged in any meaningful dialogue with the Argentinian unless he was "having an argument."
One might expect a squad capable of such historic success to be incredibly close-knit, with strong relationships forged away from the field. However, that wasn't quite the reality for that legendary City team, particularly between Hart and Tevez, who had previously been rivals in the Manchester derby.
"I always wanted to get on with everyone," said Hart. "It's only when I look back and I laugh and I think, like I had nothing to do with the strikers unless I was having an argument with them, having banter. Knew nothing about them personally.
"And Carlos is a great example, Tevez. I was in a recent golf event with him, and I've never been slightly nervous to see someone again, because I've always got on with people. And Carlos, don't me wrong. [But] I never had a conversation with him."
It's extraordinary to consider two team-mates could spend four years at the same club without engaging in any substantial dialogue. A language barrier certainly didn't help matters, particularly as Tevez has admitted he deliberately avoided learning English.
Beyond their Premier League triumph together, Hart and Tevez also clinched the FA Cup one season prior in 2011. However, despite any apprehension Hart might have harboured about their eventual reunion, those concerns swiftly melted away in what proved to be a "nice moment" for both men.
"I worked with him a long time, but he didn't really have a conversation with many people," he continued. "Because he was just focused, and I don't hold that against him. You don't have to be best friends.
"I was actually thinking, 'When I bump into him, is he even going to remember that we played together?' And then I bumped into him, and he couldn't have been more welcoming, delighted.
Carlos Tevez of Manchester United is denied by Joe Hart of Manchester City during the Barclays FA Premier League match between Manchester United and Manchester City
Tevez and Hart were previously on opposing sides of the Manchester derby
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"And I was like, 'Carlos, I didn't even know if we were going to say hello. I remember you, you just said when I played, when I play, that was how I was.' He was just a totally different person. And it was quite a nice moment actually."
Hart and Tevez were a bit of a culture shock in the City squad, hailing from two distinct eras of the club's history. Tevez was one of the big-ticket purchases made shortly after Abu Dhabi took over, while Hart was one of the few remnants of the pre-Abu Dhabi era who managed to keep his place in City's plans.
It's understandable there was a difference in stature between the two, with Tevez being a much bigger star by the time he arrived at the Etihad. However, as it turns out, being on conversational terms isn't always necessary for achieving greatness together.
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