City's greatest ever 'keeper is, like the greatest player, a generational thing with only a handful of players being remembered as truly greats years after they have finished.
City have regularly had absolutely brilliant 'keepers and there have also been some who have been hyped up to be greats when really they weren't.
Frank Swift and Bert Trautmann will always be regarded as truly great 'keepers. Joe Corrigan has, quite rightly, also been bracketed with those guys and has a good record of success as well (better than Bert's trophy haul). MANC magazine even claimed Corrigan was City's all-time number 1!
Over the last 20 years I've interviewed old fans who have told me that Bert wasn't a patch on Swift. Nowadays most accept Bert was better than Swift (perhaps because virtually all those who saw Swift at his peak have died). Personally, I've always said City had the greatest overseas keeper of all time and the greatest English keeper - but which was best?
For me however I realised last night that if Hart continues to develop in the way he has he will one day be regarded as our all time greatest keeper.
Unless he breaks his neck and suddenly joins an army fighting against Britain & becomes a POW he'll never match Bert's story, but he's already eclipsed his trophy haul (and matched Swift's), and with performances like last night he may well eclipse Bert on the pitch.
It's all subjective and everything about football (apart from the basic rules) is different now than 50/60 years ago, so we'll never be able to make a true comparison, but Hart looks destined to become a truly brilliant 'keeper.
He's appeared in more European games than any other City player; he's made more England apps than any other City keeper (and may challenge the likes of Shilton's record!); he's still pretty young for a keeper and much more.
Bert's reputation was enhanced with his heroics when City were struggling to avoid relegation and I guess it's harder being a keeper in a struggling side than a successful side, but Hart's performance when needed last night proved his abilities.
I'm not daft enough to say Hart's our all time number 1 (or even number 2) yet, but I do think he will become that based on performances.
