VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: Hart and Lescott
Thursday, 24 March, 2011
Manchester City pair discuss Cardiff memories ahead of Saturday's game.
Click here to watch the full and exclusive interview on FATV.
England and Manchester City pair Joe Hart and Joleon Lescott took time out on Thursday afternoon to sit down with FATV for an exclusive chat about Saturday's Euro qualifier with Wales in Cardiff.
The squad head to South Wales for the game on Friday morning and Cardiff is a place that brings back good memories for both players.
Hart was part of the Under-21 team which won 3-2 at Ninian Park in 2008 in a European Championship qualifying play-off, whilst Lescott tasted victory at the Millennium Stadium with former club Wolverhampton Wanderers in a Championship play-off final back in 2003 against a Sheffield United team including another England man in Phil Jagielka.
"I've got some good memories of Cardiff, winning the play-offs," admitted Lescott. "It's not so good a memory for Jags, but I don't remind him too often!
"When I went there with Wolves, we had 40,000 fans so I don't think we're going to see that many English fans this time, so it will be slightly different in terms of atmosphere for this one.
"I'm sure their fans will make themselves heard."
Hart knows how intense the atmosphere can be in an international derby though, and he was quick to add his thoughts on Saturday's clash.
"I think it's a different kind of game," he added. "The game against Wales at Under-21 level was completely different from all our qualifiers, as we'd won every game up to that point without even conceding a goal.
"When we came up against Wales, they maybe weren't as strong a team as some of the other countries we had beaten easily but it turned into a completely different affair down in Cardiff.
"The crowd were on their side (at Ninian Park) and they were really up for it, it turned into a really interesting affair."
The full interview with Lescott and Hart can be watched in full now on FATV, when they discuss the game in more detail, the mood in the camp and prospect of facing former Manchester City team-mate Craig Bellamy. Click here now to watch the video.