Joe Hart has sight set on another shutout out in Slovenia

Friday 12 Jun 2015
Joe Hart gives the thumbs up to the fans who travelled to Ireland

Joe Hart is going about his business for England with quiet efficiency, and against Slovenia on Sunday he is looking for yet another shutout – but insists three points are the priority.

The Three Lions have a perfect record after five games in qualifying and sit six points clear of both their hosts and Switzerland, at the top of Group E.

While England's outfielders have chalked up an average of three goals a game, the Manchester City keeper has conceded only once - and that was from one of his team-mates.

Slovenia v England

Euro 2016 Qualifier
5pm BST, Sunday 14 June
Stadion Stozice, Ljubljana
Live on ITV 1

"That was Jordan [Henderson] wasn't it?!" said Hart, who added another clean sheet to his personal tally in Sunday's 0-0 friendly draw in Ireland

It took him above Ray Clemence with the fourth most for England, unbeaten in 28 out of 51 appearances.

And as they prepare to face Slovenia, the team who took an unexpected lead at Wembley in October courtesy of Henderson's back-flicked header, Hart is keen to maintain his resistance throughout the rest of qualifying.

"It would obviously be a nice touch. I think as a back four, that is what we would look to do," he said.

"The way we are setting up, we are setting up to be an exciting team but we need to be right at the back, to lock it down and leave it for the other guys to express themselves.

"I didn't know I'd beaten Clemence's record. Of course it excites me and I want to play for this country as many times as possible.

"I don't want to let any goals in. As far as records go, I want to keep clean sheets and play for as long as possible."

Joe Hart dives

Joe Hart makes a save in training

Hart continued: "We just want to win games. We all want to play well, have 45 passes and then someone chips the keeper or someone does a bicycle kick, but that is not realistic.

"We are playing against opposition who have the same responsibilities to their country. The ideal performance would be perfect and for everyone to love it but we have to do a job.

"It is not an easy job but we love it and we want to win games."

England keepers train for Slovenia

While Roy Hodgson's men played out a stalemate with Ireland, it was a first chance of action for Hart since the Premier League season ended two weeks earlier.

Though he travelled to North America with City before meeting up with the Three Lions, he did not feature in any of the games, so was pleased with the opportunity for another outing.

And, Hart insists, if England perform better in Ljubljana and pick up another three points on the road to France 2016 this weekend coming, then the game in Dublin was a worthwhile exercise.

Joe Hart and Tom Heaton

Hart and Heaton have fun in training

"I didn't play in America because of the weather conditions but it was good against Ireland, to get my lines and angles," he said.

"We did not attack like we wanted to as we were a little bit too slow, a little bit pedestrian, it was linked with how Ireland played.

"We could have played better, a lot quicker but as a group we defended well, we set the game up and did not finish it off. 

Hart added: "We don't feel it is good enough to draw 0-0 and we could be winning the game but that result could have happened 10 games into the season and had nothing to do with it being end of the season. 

"We were not doing what we wanted to do.

"But a positive result on Sunday will make the performance in Ireland worthwhile."

By Jamie Bradbury FA Editor At the England team hotel