Luke Steele believes he has improved immeasurably after swapping Yorkshire for Greece; good news for Joe Hart as he begins his Italian adventure.
Panathinaikos goalkeeper Luke Steele says playing on the continent has made him a more rounded player, something which could potentially benefit Joe Hart.
The former Manchester United youngster (below), who made his name in the lower tiers of English football with the likes of Barnsley and Coventry, has established himself at the Greek giants since his arrival in 2014.
And Steele believes Hart, who joined Serie A side Torino on loan last month after failing to fit into Pep Guardiola’s preferred tactical plan at Manchester City, can only improve by sampling different footballing cultures.
"[Playing abroad has] forced me to use my feet more, so that's a huge change," the 31-year-old told SkySports. “As a kid, I'd sort of lost touch with that at Barnsley because we did go long ball for many years.
"What they said [at Panathinaikos] is that the ball starts from the back and you've got to play with your feet. It's definitely made me a better goalkeeper.”
After swapping Barnsley for Greece, Steele’s pass completion rate rose from 48 to 62 per cent in just one season.
Hart will face different challenges in Serie A, but he may be expected to play a greater role with his feet and could find the move to Italy helps him develop an aspect of his game that is less tested in England.
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