Joe Hart breaks his silence after City's guilty verdict: what Khaldoon Al Mubarak said is enough

Joe Hart, the former Manchester City goalkeeper, has defended his club over the financial breaches case, backing chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and his insistence that City are innocent of the charges brought against them.

The Premier League found Manchester City guilty of the majority of the 115 financial breaches it charged them with, and the club is now preparing to appeal.

Al Mubarak had vowed to "prove the club's innocence", noting that the legal proceedings "still have a long way to go".

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Hart, who played 348 matches for Manchester City across all competitions between 2006 and 2016, spoke on "The Monday Night Club" programme on " BBC Radio 5 Live ": "Khaldoon has led the club brilliantly, and he is a person who can be trusted".

"I have listened to everyone going into every hole and every tunnel and every possible discussion," he added. "Honestly, I have no reason not to trust Khaldoon. What he said is enough for me".

"I liked the way he spoke, and I liked the message, because it came from someone who cares about the club," he continued.

Hart won plenty during his time at the club. Two Premier League titles, in 2011-2012 and 2013-2014. Two League Cups, in 2013-2014 and 2015-2016. And the FA Cup in 2010-2011.

Now 39, the former goalkeeper said the lack of "anything tangible" for him means waiting to see how the case develops, and stressed it takes nothing away from his previous achievements.

"If Manchester City is found guilty, which is something I don't think will happen based on what Khaldoon said, then there will be matters to discuss," Hart said. "But at the moment, I am very confident and very calm".

"I am extremely proud of what I achieved and of what I did with Manchester City and what we achieved as a team, and that will not change," he added. "That will not change until you tell me otherwise".

The charges against Manchester City cover a wide range of breaches, most notably allegations of inflating sponsorship revenue from companies linked to the club, plus other payments made off the official records to circumvent the financial regulations.

Discussing the case with his former team-mates has not crossed his mind, Hart explained, because he "cannot engage in probabilities and assumptions".

"I did what I had to do," he concluded. "I was playing the matches 11 against 11, and competing on the pitch. I won some matches and lost and drew others, then I shook hands with the opponents and left the pitch".

"I know what I did, and I know what we did, and I know how it happened," he added. "I did not feel that we were planning or plotting anything".