Tottenham goalkeeper Joe Hart insists he doesn't hold a grudge against Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.

Hart never saw eye-to-eye with Guardiola at City and eventually left the club after failing to win over the Catalan.

The former England international, now 33, spent 12 years with City, twice winning the Premier League, along with lifting the FA Cup and twice the League Cup. But as he says, when Guardiola arrived from Bayern Munich, the new City manager wanted his own goalkeeper - and Hart just didn't fit.

At the time, it was argued Guardiola didn't rate Hart's ground game, which is something he acknowledges. However, despite butting heads with his manager, Hart says he also attempted to soak up as much of Guardiola's coaching as a he could during their time together

"Of course, when we talked, I held back as much as I could. I listened to everything he wanted to say," said Hart, quoted by the Guardian via Sport-Express.

"It's not just that I'm not as good at kicking as he wants from the goalkeeper. I realised that he wanted to leave his mark on City. There was a direction he wanted to go, and he's doing pretty well, isn't he?"

Indeed, despite their differences, Hart still regards Guardiola as among the best in the world and believes he knows the qualities in the former Barcelona coach's character which sets him apart.

Hart added: "This is Pep's genius. He makes decisions and defends them firmly. I have no dislike for him. We get along great. And we both love football."

- updated December 22