Joe Hart's Serie A Adventure: Torino Journey Has Been Strange but Compelling

It usually doesn't take long. After any surprising transfer—even those that supposedly "rock football to its very core"—the passage of time sees everything eventually become normal once again.

Seeing images of Michael Owen in a Manchester United shirt or Luis Figo representing Real Madrid somehow stops being jarring, even to supporters of the clubs who idolised those players before they joined a bitter rival.

Yet even now, some seven months after he first joined them, seeing Joe Hart represent Serie A side Torino remains just as bizarre an experience as it was back in August when he first arrived.

Perhaps even more strange is hearing him curse out his defenders in English whenever they leave him exposed, quickly dropping back into Italian to ensure his message is understood. It has been a few years since such language has been heard at the Stadio Olimpico, Hart becoming the first goalkeeper from the UK to play in Serie A since the league began back in 1929.

It was certainly an odd experience for this writer when, along with Italian football writer Paolo Bandini, we found ourselves in a Turin coffee bar discussing the fact that England’s No. 1 was about to play in the city.

But Hart has certainly taken the move in the right spirit. "I don’t know if this is sick or perverse, but I have enjoyed what's gone on," the Shewsbury native told ITV this weekend (h/t the Manchester Evening News). "In a game like this you need to be able to spin it and make you a better person for it."

Italian football has been better for it, too, something Nima Tavallaey of SempreInter.com fully expected, explaining his thoughts when news of the England international's decision to join the Granata emerged.

"At first I felt bad for Hart that Guardiola forced him out of Manchester City since he'd done well at the club up to that point," he told Bleacher Report. "When the Torino transfer materialised I was positive as it would undoubtedly raise the profile of the Serie A in the UK but also excited to see what Hart could do when matched up weekly in the league with the highest level of goalkeeping in the world."

It was clear that the 29-year-old was set for a baptism of fire, however, with Torino—who finished last season in 12th place—undergoing a tumultuous summer. Captain Kamil Glik left for AS Monaco, his former partner in central defence Nikola Maksimovic headed to Napoli and AS Roma snapped up right-back Bruno Peres.

Sinisa Mihajlovic replaced long-serving coach Giampiero Ventura, and suddenly this was a different team. Their lack of cohesion has shown all across the pitch, but nowhere has the lack of familiarity and continuity been felt more than at the back, with Torino conceding 48 goals so far this term.

Only four teams—three of which look almost certain to be relegated—have allowed more, while statistics from WhoScored.com show that the Granata have faced the fifth-highest number of shots in Serie A (14.9 per game) and committed the second-highest amount of fouls (16.1).

All those facts have combined to make Hart a busy boy between the posts. Figures from Fox Soccer highlight that only seven goalkeepers have faced more shots (131), while the interview below shows how the change of scenery has forced him to grow up after previously facing accusations of immaturity.

"Torino's offer came at the right moment for me, in the right manner," he told the club's website in his first interview with them (h/t Guardian Sport). "The coach here wants humility and ambition. I like that. That's how I want to be."

He has won over the supporters, with Rob Gillman—whose English-language blog about Torino can be found here—explaining to Bleacher Report just how the player is viewed on the Curva Maratona:

"While Joe Hart has certainly made a number of mistakes during his time at Torino, I would still say that his loan move at the club has been a successful one. His attitude has been exemplary, and his leadership and humility have helped a young side achieve some impressive results.

"Off the pitch, the former Manchester City man has fully immersed himself into Italian life, whether that be learning the language, or meeting supporters at Toro fan club dinners. For that reason, despite the odd mistake, I believe Joe Hart has earned the respect of almost all Torino fans and will be welcome back at the club with open arms, regardless of whether his stay continues beyond this season."

For neutrals, much like his new fans in Turin, the story of Hart's time with the club so far is one of exaggeration. Every good save is lauded and spun into a transfer rumour, while every mistake is blown out of proportion and cited as "evidence" that he is not good enough for an elite-level club.

A number of former England internationals believe he is, however, with Ray Wilkins telling Premier League Daily (h/t Sky Sports) that Liverpool should make a move, while David James bizarrely said on TalkSport (h/t Football Italia) that Hart should "be looking at Juventus."

That cross-town move is obviously a non-starter with Gigi Buffon still shining as the Bianconeri captain, and Hart has definitely been at fault for a number of goals his team have conceded this term.

His last clean sheet was on January 8 and Torino are now almost certain to miss out on a European place, with Bandini taking time to explain his view on what the time at Torino has done for Hart's future prospects:

"Yeah, that's an interesting question. It certainly doesn't appear that he's headed back to City, so this could be an interesting summer for Joe. I think he showed character in taking this chance to play abroad, and I suspect it has probably opened a lot of new doors for him—because now clubs all over Europe might be more likely to make an approach.

"So few English players ever venture abroad that I think you end up with a self-perpetuating situation where clubs in other countries don't really consider them. That said, we have to be honest and recognise that—while he has done more good than bad, and is very well thought of in Turin—Hart has still made more errors this season than the very top clubs expect from their 'keepers.

"A team like Torino can tolerate that, because he's making enough saves to win them games as well. But a club chasing titles less so."

It is difficult to decipher where his future might lie, especially with the 2018 FIFA World Cup looming large on the horizon, but for now the man himself is simply enjoying his time with Torino and everything that comes with it.

"I'm very grateful to the fans for everything they are giving to me," Hart told reporters earlier this month per Goal. "I'll take that into account. I keep everything in consideration for the future, but for now I remain concentrated on Toro and what I need to do."

It's still a strange situation and one that continually seems unreal, but there he is every week, working hard on becoming a better goalkeeper and often looking like a different person than the man screaming loudly in the tunnel before losing to Iceland with England in Euro 2016.

The journey may be coming to an end and he's still Joe Hart, but he's not the same as he was before.