Joe Hart knows he is facing up to the biggest season of his young career – and he is ready for the challenge. So ready, in fact, that the 23-year-old cut short his post-World Cup break to join up with City’s tour party in the United States.

Hart knows that he is a serious contender for the England No1 jersey as Fabio Capello rethinks his options after disappointment in South Africa.

But first, he has to re-establish himself as the Blues’ first-choice keeper ahead of Shay Given.

Republic of Ireland keeper Given took on that role when he arrived from Newcastle for £8million 18 months ago.

Hart responded, though, with an outstanding season on loan at Birmingham, winning their player of the year award.

And for the first time since Given’s arrival, the issue of who should be City’s regular keeper has become a genuinely difficult call.

“I just want to play at the moment, so we’ll have to see how that one works out,” said Hart.

The young goalkeeper has been determined to give himself every chance of succeeding, having returned to pre-season training a week earlier than requested.

Although he did not play for England at the World Cup, his involvement with the squad means that he has only taken two weeks’ holiday in 2010.

“I feel absolutely fine,” he said. “I don’t feel like I’ve only been away for two weeks.

“I didn’t really get up to much in terms of abusing my body, so I’m quite happy to come straight back into it.”

It is a crucial time for Hart, because the dislocated shoulder Given suffered at Arsenal in late April makes him a doubt for the start of the season.

The Irishman is back in training and with the US tour party, but is not yet fully fit, which could give Hart the chance to stake his claim in the opening weeks of the Premier League season.

Hart view

But Hart said: “I think Shay’s fine. I think he’ll definitely be fit for the season, so we’ll both have to see how it pans out. It’s not really up to me.”

Given should be warned – Hart has beaten off more experienced competition to win the City keeper’s jersey before.

Three years ago, when Sven-Goran Eriksson arrived for his one season at Eastlands, Hart was third choice behind Sweden international Andreas Isaksson and Kasper Schmeichel.

When Isaksson broke his thumb in pre-season, it was Schmeichel who got the early nod before Eriksson threw Hart into the team.

It came down to a straight battle between the experienced Isaksson and the youthful Hart – and the Englishman won.

Even then, it was clear that Hart was not the finished article. His confidence, his ability to deal with crosses and his shot-stopping talent were there for all to see, but his distribution needed work, and he had yet to develop Given’s vocal presence on the pitch.

His year at Birmingham has helped him to iron out some of those weaknesses. There is a growing maturity about Hart’s game.

Ironically, the most public display of that maturity came during a match in which Hart wasn’t playing – England’s World Cup opener against the United States in Rustenburg last month.

When Robert Green trudged off at half-time after his howler had allowed Clint Dempsey to equalise for the US, Hart made a point of waiting on the touchline to console the Hammers keeper.

It was a thoughtful gesture at a time when Green must have felt totally alone.

“I got behind Jamo [David James] and Greeny when they played and just tried to do my bit as best I could,” Hart said.

Chopped

The City keeper could be excused for expressing frustration at the way Capello chopped and changed his goalkeepers around in the build-up to the World Cup.

Instead, Hart insists he was just glad to be part of the squad – even though Capello never told any of his keepers who was playing until the day of the game.

He said: “None of us had a clue what was going on. It was all kept from us until about two hours before kick off.

“We all prepared as if we were playing and then just waited for the tap on the shoulder.

“It was great to be somewhere I’d never been before and to be a part of something so global.

“I kicked every ball. I was like a glorified fan with front-row seats.

“I just wanted the lads to do so well. Everyone has that same feeling. It was such a shame that it didn’t turn out how everyone wanted it to.”

Now, though, Hart is focused on forcing his way into City’s first team. Given the fortunes the club have spent on players since Sheikh Mansour bought the club two years ago, it would be some achievement for a keeper who cost just £1.5million from Shrewsbury.

And Hart would relish the chance to play alongside star signings such as Yaya Toure and David Silva.

He said: “They’re all great players. I don’t expect anything less. Every single person who signs for this club is going to be of that kind of calibre – otherwise there’s no point signing them.

“That’s the way this club is trying to move forward, by using the money as a positive thing.”

Do you think Hart should play ahead of Given? Have your say.