Moyes reveals he rejected Hart in favour of rising star Pickford

Sunderland manager David Moyes says he rejected a move to bring in Manchester City's out-of-favour goalkeeper Joe Hart because of the progress he saw from young shot-stopper Jordan Pickford.

Moyes revealed the Black Cats were interested in potentially acquiring Hart after City manager Pep Guardiola looked to offload him from his new-look team, but opted to stick with his young option instead.

"When I arrived, Vito Mannone was probably the No. 1 on experience but his injury meant we needed to turn to Jordan and he has stood up to all we've asked of him," Moyes said, as quoted by the Sunderland Echo.

"I could have brought in Joe Hart, we thought he would have been ideal for us, but I had to think of Jordan's progression too and he hasn't let us down."

For his part, Pickford's performances have made Moyes quite confident in his decision, with a series of commendable performances earning the 22-year-old a nod for the England national team alongside Hart.

Hart is now the starting shot-stopper for Italian outfit Torino and has kept his place as the Three Lions' preferred option in between the sticks as a result, but Moyes believes Pickford has all the makings of a replacement one day.

"Hopefully he will become England's No. 1 for the future, I don't see why not," Moyes said. "He has the attributes and if he keeps his attitude of working hard, he won't go far wrong."