Hart's body 'in pieces' after heroic England performance

Joe Hart answered his critics Tuesday - at a price.

The much-maligned England goalkeeper produced four key saves of considerable difficulty to preserve a 0-0 draw in Slovenia. That he had to be so active should concern Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate, who oversaw yet another drab overall performance from his outfield players, but it was further proof of Hart's international credentials.

His acrobatics to keep Jasmin Kurtic's effort out of the goal drew immense praise, but also left a few marks.

Related - Watch: Hart sacrifices body to make superb flying save vs. Slovenia

"It's my best game for a while, but it was down to a few errors from us," Hart said. "We have to improve but we are trying to qualify for Russia. My body is in pieces, I'll struggle to get up tomorrow. I landed on the frame of the goal."

BBC commentator John Motson called it "one of the great saves by an England goalkeeper," bringing to mind Gordon Banks' last-ditch dive to thwart Pele's header in the 1970 World Cup.

Hart needed a game like this one, even if it exposed England's shortcomings. Forced out of Manchester City by Pep Guardiola, the Shrewsbury native has begun to patch his career back together in Italy. He has already recorded two clean sheets with his new Torino teammates, and he's now proving his pedigree on the main stage.

Apart from that memorable stop, Hart also commanded his penalty area. He rushed out to deny Roman Bezjak early in the first half, and maintained his cool in one-on-one situations in the second stanza.