Joe Hart claimed he is dreaming of World Cup success like he did as a young boy after his England side secured qualification to next summer’s tournament on Thursday.
The West Ham United goalkeeper was named Man of the Match in the 1-0 victory over Slovenia at Wembley which saw Gareth Southgate’s men book their seat on the plane to Russia.
And the stopper made a number of crucial saves, setting the game up to be won by Tottenham Hotspur forward Harry Kane deep into injury time.
The Three Lions joined the likes of Germany, Brazil, Belgium and Mexico in sealing their qualification and Hart is already excited about the prospect of his fifth major international tournament.
He said: “I’m still a little boy dreaming and we have a World Cup to look forward to now. People have the same dreams as me and we feel we can really stick together and make something happen.
“Reaching Russia is really massive for us, it’s huge. It’s a big step after a not very successful end to the last campaign, but we’ve not let that get us down.
“We’ve got the results when we’ve needed to and we’ve qualified with a game to go.
I’m still a little boy dreaming and we have a World Cup to look forward to now. It’s now about peaking in the summer as a national team
Joe Hart
It was already a proud evening for the stopper having overtaken Gordon Banks in overall Three Lions appearances with his 74th cap.
And Hart went on to make his night even more special, preventing first Tim Matavz, then Aljaz Struna in one attack in the final ten minutes, a crucial double save which added to his solid performance.
The keeper, having now kept four clean sheets in his last five games for club and country, was delighted to make an impact at Wembley following Saturday’s win over Swansea at London Stadium in a Hammers shirt.
“That [double save hurt],” he admitted with a smile. “I like to get involved and do something when I can, and it’s nice to set up the win like that.
“I feel good. But you know what football is like. I want to stay the same guy as when I let ten goals in in three games.
“It’s always nice to come into the break with wins, but I can into the last one on the back of three losses, and the focus stays the same. I’ve got to be the same goalkeeper whether I’m letting goals in or keeping clean sheets because it’s such an up and down game.
“You’ve got to keep calm, mentally keep in the right place.”
England now have a final Group F match to contest when travel to Vilnius to face Lithuania on Sunday, before Hart – and Aaron Cresswell, who will also be hoping to feature at the weekend – travel back to Rush Green to re-join their Hammers teammates.
And despite the World Cup now looming at the end of the campaign, the 30-year-old believes keeping his focus will not be a problem.
“The World Cup will only be on my mind when I have an England shirt on,” Hart explained. “After that, it will be about West Ham.
“You have to be able to flick between the two and focus has to be on the team I’m part of.
“I stick with the guys who matter, the two managers I have got, the two bunch of teammates I have got, they’re really important to me.
“Right now I’m with England, that’s my focus, but come Tuesday when we’re back, it will all be about West Ham and the Burnley match will take care of itself.”