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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
David Anderson

Joe Hart set to leave Burnley after just ONE season - but Peter Crouch poised to stay

Joe Hart is set to leave Burnley after just one season – but Peter Crouch will be offered a new contract to stay.

Hart, 32, who has one year left on his deal, has not played since being deposed as the Clarets No1 by Tom Heaton at Christmas, and does not want to spend next season on the bench.

Burnley will let the former England and Manchester City keeper, who is one of their top earners, go and he is attracting interest from Norwich, France and the MLS.

Boss Sean Dyche also has England international Nick Pope and admits one of his three senior goalkeepers will probably leave.

“It’s probable, but not definite,” said Dyche. “It’s likely that one of them will say, ‘I want to go elsewhere’. No guarantee and if they are all here for pre-season, then great.

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Hart has become nothing more than a backup at Burnley (PA)

“I want the team and the squad and the club to get stronger and stronger and I want all these hard decisions.

“But it’s not just me and they will look at it from the other end and go, ‘I appreciate all that, but I want to be playing every week’, and they can’t all play.”

Dyche says Burnley, who face Arsenal tomorrow at Turf Moor, will speak to Crouch about a deal for next season because his uniqueness makes him “a weapon”.

The short-term deal Crouch signed when he joined from Stoke in January has expired and Dyche claims the former England and Liverpool hitman can still do a job for the Clarets at 38.

He has been out since March after having an appendix operation and Dyche said: “That’s no fault of his and we will be talking to him.

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Crouch has done enough to see him earn a contract extension (Getty Images)

“The thing is he’s never relied on pace, but he’s still an awkward customer, he’s still a complete one of a kind, which is a weapon.

“He’s fantastic in the group and is a super, super level-headed person because he’s done a bit, but there’s nothing on him other than being super professional and a good person.

“So there’s a lot to like about him, not just as a footballer, but as a bloke, he’s a real proper bloke.”

Dyche also revealed Burnley have renewed Phil Bardsley’s contract, but that Stephen Ward’s has expired.

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