Hart suffering from lack of competition, says Steele

After a series of high-profile errors, the shot-stopper's former goalkeeping coach feels a credible challenge for his starting spot is a must

Eric Steele believes Joe Hart's downturn in form is due to a lack of sufficient competition with both Manchester City and England.

The goalkeeper has made a number of high-profile errors of late, dating back to last season, with his latest costing City a point against Chelsea on Sunday.

Hart is expected to be dropped for the Capital One Cup clash with Newcastle - with Manuel Pellegrini considering a longer spell among the substitutes - and the former Man City coach feels the England No.1 has become complacent with no-one challenging his starting spot.

"Has he been challenged enough at club and international level? I don’t think he has," Steele wrote in a column for The Daily Telegraph.

"Joe challenges himself more than anyone but he’s not had the required challenge at City since Shay Given left.

"You need somebody breathing down your neck and putting you under pressure in training every day. It’s the same at international level too, it’s only now that the next generation are now coming through."

"But Joe has worked so hard to get himself into the position of being England’s No.1 that he will be working so hard to get over this dip."