- Joe Hart picks his all-time greats
- Gives special mention to Vincent Kompany
- Pair spent 10 years together at Man City
Vincent Kompany is proving to be a fine manager and Joe Hart believes there was no defender better than the Belgian during his playing days.
Joe Hart became somewhat of a cult hero in the latter stages of his career at Celtic, but the goalkeeper will still mostly be remembered for his time at Manchester City.
The shot-stopper was one of the best around in his prime, and he even became England’s first choice player between the sticks.
Hart spent 12 years at Man City and he played alongside Vincent Kompany for 10 of those. The duo worked well together and were part of the defensive line who won the club their first ever Premier League title.
Joe Harts names Vincent Kompany as the greatest defender of all-time
According to Hart, there is no defender in world football who has ever been as good as ex-Citizen Kompany.
The 38-year-old offered his thoughts while speaking to ESPN, in promotion of the Soccer Aid match which will take place at the end of May.
Joe Hart picks his best ever players 👀🐐 pic.twitter.com/lUXcgnYOzP
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) April 17, 2026
Hart had the opportunity to mention himself as well, when he was asked about the greatest ever goalkeeper. However, he chose to remain modest, naming Italian legend Gianluigi Buffon as his pick instead.
Kompany was one of Man City’s best bargains
Undoubtedly, Kompany was an absolutely terrific centre-back and to make things even better, he only cost Man City £6m.
Signing from Hamburg, there was promise that the Belgian would be a capable defender. After all, the German club had just finished fourth in the Bundesliga.
However, no one could have predicted how influential Kompany would be over the years at the Etihad Stadium.
City could look to bring back Kompany
Pep Guardiola is either going to leave Man City this summer or one year down the line and Vincent Kompany is a potential replacement.
The 40-year-old would be a brilliant appointment, considering the success he has already brought about at Bayern Munich.
Despite this, it will not be easy to convince Kompany to leave the Bundesliga holders, especially if they win the Champions League.
Some would consider Bayern to be the best team in Europe this season and a switch to City might actually feel like a downgrade.
There is a strong argument to be made that this is the case, as the German team knocked Real Madrid out of the Champions League. Whereas Man City were thrashed by them, losing 5-1 on aggregate in the round of 16.
Still, Kompany has an emotional connection with the Sky Blues, so maybe there is a way of convincing him to come home.
