No guarantees for Hart

Hart: Not guaranteed first-team football

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Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish insists loanee Joe Hart will not automatically become the club's No.1 goalkeeper.

Hart has secured a year-long loan with the newly-promoted outfit after slipping down Manchester City's pecking order following the arrival of Shay Given.

The England Under 21 ace is vying with Maik Taylor for the starting job in goal for Blues and McLeish insists no one is guaranteed first-team football.

Hart is currently impressing for England's Under 21s at this summer's European Under 21 Championship in Sweden and is expected to impress for the Midlands outfit next season.

Fantastic competition

"Joe comes in and it will be a fantastic competition between him and Maik, two great goalkeepers," he told the club's official website.

"He obviously hasn't come in to sit on the bench but I am not making any guarantees, it's as simple as that.

"We have to see how the lads do and how the competition affects them. I'm sure the two of them will handle it, being part of the goalkeepers' union.

"Joe lost his place to Shay Given last season and probably felt a little hard done by, but he got on with it, didn't hold any grudges with Shay. In fact I think the two of them are great pals.

"It's just one of these things that happen in football and you have to deal with it mentally, as well as the physical side of things."

Doyle loan

Meanwhile, following the arrival of Hart at St Andrews, McLeish feels it best if new third-choice shot-stopper Colin Doyle undertakes a loan spell in order to further his experience.

"We feel that 'Doylie' needs more first-team experience and if we can get him out on loan, that's the game plan for Colin," he continued.

"He came in and did a very good job for us last season in Maik's absence. I thought he displayed extreme professionalism to come in out of the cold and he showed what he was capable of.

"But he is still a bit raw in terms of first-team experience at the top level, which is why we've brought Joe Hart in to be the big competition there."