Joe Hart to captain England vs Lithuania… but fears he could get Three Lions chop like Wayne Rooney

JOE HART knows his England career could be over in a flash.

Three months ago he was getting changed next to Wayne Rooney in the England dressing room before their 3-0 victory over Scotland.

Now it looks like it is over for Rooney, cut adrift by Gareth Southgate after scoring 53 goals in 119 appearances for England.

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It is a brutal world out there.

And Hart, 29, admitted: “Rooney has a huge presence but football has got a way of this happening to you.

“You just meet up with the squad and whoever is fit and available you meet up with.

“You would probably be saying the same about me if I wasn’t in the squad but, if I wasn’t here, I don’t think it would make much of a difference.”

Hart is one of England’s senior players now, one of the most influential members of the squad as he prepares to make his 70th appearance against Lithuania tomorrow.

His face still fits around the place.

He will be captain against Lithuania, leading the team out in this World Cup qualifier because Gary Cahill (suspension), Chris Smalling and Jordan Henderson (injuries) are missing.

It is always an honour to captain the country but it is a diminishing role under the new head coach.

Hart admitted: “The manager has made it pretty clear it is just an armband to him.

“He wants the players, whether that is me, or Marcus Rashford or whoever, to lead.

“There are different ways to lead and it’s not just about being the most experienced or being the most vocal.

“If you look at clubs, sometimes the club captain is not necessarily involved on the pitch.

“Maybe at clubs it’s more important because it is about organising.

“Wayne is still the England captain but when he is not here it is Jordan Henderson and it moves down from there.”

Hart remains the first-choice keeper for England but he faces an uncertain future at Manchester City when he returns from a season-long loan spell at Torino. He is still highly regarded in the game but the City keeper knows he will never pull on the gloves for them again under Pep Guardiola.

Hart admitted: “It’s tough because it’s not like I have got a host of things to choose from, because I don’t.

“I don’t know what’s happening with my career at the moment.

“I want to play at the best level I can and that’s where my head is at.

“At the moment I am playing in Italy for Torino and doing my best for England.

“After the season ends with Torino, I want to make the squads for the England internationals in the summer.

“After that, something has to give.”

He knows his City career is over, and that there is no way back while Guardiola is still coach at the Etihad.

Despite Torino’s poor run of form in Serie A — they have slipped to tenth — Hart is enjoying the Italian lifestyle.

He has not ruled out the prospect of spending another season in Italy on loan with them while City work out what to do with him.

Hart added: “I’m open. I loved being part of Manchester City and I’ve said on record many, many times, it wasn’t down to a lack of  curiosity of other leagues, it was a club I really enjoyed being part of it.

“I want to be part of the best team I can be part of, that wants me to be their keeper and I want to earn the right to be their keeper.

“I’m waiting and seeing what’s going on next year. I’ve enjoyed being part of Serie A, it’s a strong league, it’s brand new for me and I’ve really enjoyed being a part of it and getting involved in it.

“I’m sure different leagues bring different challenges but whether I taste them or not I don’t know.”