Change of Hart: What's next for England's No. 1?

Perhaps the late Gary Speed said it best when he offered, "Everybody makes mistakes, but when goalkeepers make them, it's costly. That's the nature of being a goalkeeper."

Few will know that better than Joe Hart.

A day after conceding two Leigh Griffiths free-kicks in a three-minute window, England No. 1 Hart has seen his future as the Three Lions' first-choice shot-stopper come under question.

Related - Watch: Griffiths' quality free-kicks temporarily stun England

It's a discussion that will only heap pressure on the 30-year-old Shrewsbury Town product, and after a mercurial loan spell with Torino ended with his next step no clearer, it's a pivotal stretch for the player that once led Manchester City to its first top-flight triumph in 44 years.

At a footballing crossroads

Football has little patience for drops in form - and offers even less in terms of compassion - and after a callous banishment engineered by Pep Guardiola for Claudio Bravo, Hart faces a summer of uncertainty. Willy Caballero has been replaced at the Etihad by £34.8-million man Ederson as Guardiola shores up his pairing between the wickets, and Hart is the odd man out.

Related: City outcast Hart prefers permanent move, yet to receive offer

With Hart suggesting that he fancies avoiding a second successive loan spell and modest Torino unable to meet his wage demands, the blonde shot-stopper's future with club mirrors his fate with country.

As Jack Butland, Fraser Forster, and Jordan Pickford breathe down Hart's neck, chomping at the bit to assume first-choice duties from Gareth Southgate, the man reared in Charles Darwin's birthplace needs to evolve for fear of becoming extinct.

So what's next for Hart?

Under contract at City through 2019, resistant to a temporary switch, and hoping to return to England's top flight amid rumblings that both Lazio and Villarreal could offer him a lifeline abroad, if Hart has any leverage at the club, he'll use it to prompt a sale. With that in mind, here's a look at a handful of potential Premier League destinations for the player languishing in football limbo:

Everton

The bookmaker's favourite to sign Hart, Everton is likely to upgrade on the pairing of Joel Robles and Maarten Stekelenburg this summer in hopes of building on a seventh-place finish under Ronald Koeman.

Considering how poor Robles was this season, and the fact that he was preferred to Stekelenburg (who played just three times in the calendar year), Everton is the top-half side best suited for a new 'keeper.

In August, Koeman admitted, "We are still looking for a goalkeeper. We like to have three good goalkeepers. If you have an injury, the manager is not so afraid of the other two but Joe Hart is not a third goalkeeper or a second." It's reasonable to think the Dutch gaffer has softened his stance on the England No. 1.

With participation in the Europa League adding fixtures to an already congested schedule and an expected influx of funds from the high-profile sale of Romelu Lukaku, the Toffees check all the boxes.

Liverpool

Snatched from Mainz for a modest £4.7-million fee, Loris Karius was lured to Anfield to remedy Simon Mignolet's erratic performances.

That experiment lasted 10 league matches, and with horrendous outings against Bournemouth and West Ham, the 23-year-old was offered five cup starts, won just one of those against lowly Plymouth in January, and didn't play again.

Mignolet was handed the first-choice role again, and even with some stunning displays late in the season against the Irons and Watford, there are concerns the Belgian is not good enough for a side which should harbour title claims.

Like his Merseyside coaching counterpart Koeman, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp hushed Hart interest in April, conceding, "Hart is a fantastic goalkeeper but we have highest-quality goalkeepers." The German gaffer may fancy reconsidering that assessment.

West Ham

With West Ham reportedly hoping to sign Hart on a one-year loan with an option to buy, a move to the London Stadium makes plenty of sense for City's out-of-favour netminder.

The Hammers are understood to be hesitant to pony up the £18-million appraisal, but are willing to cover Hart's £100,000-a-week wages on loan, a proposition City director of football Txiki Begiristain may very well entertain.

Adrian appears likely to return to La Liga in the summer, and Darren Randolph is, well, Darren Randolph, and on the heels of a dreary campaign, the Irons could afford to clean the slate between the sticks.

It's clear that Hart pines for a return to England's top flight, admitting "I love the Premier League and I absolutely love Premier League games." While the two Liverpool clubs are the ones most commonly linked with Hart, West Ham fits the profile.

The conditional couple

Should either Manchester United or Chelsea sell their first-choice 'keepers to Real Madrid, as has been speculated, Hart could fill an immediate need.

Lots of "What ifs?" but with David De Gea and Thibaut Courtois rumoured to be targets to replace Keylor Navas at the Bernabeu, the two English giants are more likely to shop for a shot-stopper than give the gig to Sergio Romero, or in Chelsea's case, whoever replaces Asmir Begovic as the designated deputy.

Like a throw to the halfway line, this one's far-fetched.

"I want to play football and I love to play football, so if that opportunity is not going to be given there, then I am going to have to look elsewhere and I may have to make somewhere else my home," Hart said when asked about his City future.

Still without an offer, its only a matter of time before Hart finds that new home.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)