Man City ace keen on extending Birmingham stay

The 22-year-old is currently on a season-long loan move at the Blues.

“I was obviously struggling for a game at Manchester City,” he told the Daily Mail.

“Birmingham made their intentions clear. They have given me a chance.

“There wasn’t much goalkeeping movement last summer and I really wanted to stay in the Premier League.

“I’d be open to staying another season on loan but I need to see what Manchester City think at the end of the season.

“I’m here and 100 per cent focused on Birmingham until then.”

Hart insists his feet remian on the ground, despite his recent success.

“You don’t really appreciate what professional football is about when you are a young boy,” he continued.

“You think it’s still a game. Then you enter the professional world and realise how serious and intense it really is.

“At that level, it’s as serious as the Premier League. It means a lot to the boys. You need to win. You need to do well. Players need their appearance and win bonuses.

“It made me grow up quickly and realise just what sort of world this is. I ended up doing a proper apprenticeship at Shrewsbury. I had a great teacher in Nigel Vaughan, our youth team coach.

“So I appreciate everything I’ve got now. I know where I’ve come from and I won’t forget it. When you are around the great players – like Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand or Shay Given, David James – you watch and learn and see how they don’t take anything for granted.

“They work their socks off every day because it could be snatched off them. So I’m going to work hard and try to enjoy every minute of it. I feel I get more out of it when I enjoy it. All I want to do is play.”