JOE Hart believes he has been ‘set free’ by his move to Burnley and vowed: ‘My whole life is this club now’.

The England international made his Clarets debut in Istanbul on Thursday night and loved every minute of it after settling seamlessly into life at Turf Moor.

Nearly forty-five minutes after the final whistle at the Fatih Terim Stadium Hart bounded back out of the tunnel and spoke with a glowing enthusiasm about his fresh start at Burnley and his first appearance.

The clean sheet he kept against Istanbul Basaksehir may have put the Clarets in the driving seat in the Europa League third qualifying round tie, but for Hart it’s just the beginning at Burnley and a club he believes is tailor-made for him.

Injury to Nick Pope, who is out for several months with a dislocated shoulder, opened the door to a surprise Clarets move for Hart and the 31-year-old was sold on the idea immediately, but insisted it had to be a permanent switch rather than a third successive loan move away from Manchester City.

The Clarets stumped up £4million to bring in Hart, who signed an initial two-year deal and the club has made an immediate impression on him.

He was approached after the injury to Pope, and said: “I made it clear it was very interesting but I didn’t want to go on loan again.

“It was the last year of my contract and I needed to cut ties with them (Manchester City) and be free. I feel like I’ve been set free here and I’m excited.

“The club kind of sold itself really given the atmosphere and how they go about things. It’s me down to a tee.

“Everyone is on the same page at this football club. Everyone is pulling in the same direction. It sounds like an easy thing to have but it’s not.”

Hart enjoyed a dozen memorable years at Manchester City but he was exiled under Pep Guardiola and has spent the past two seasons enduring testing loan spells at Torino and West Ham United.

This summer he was determined to find a new home and he believes he’s done just that at Turf Moor.

“I was a loanee player at 31. I’ve got vast experience and won things but at the end of the day I was a loanee, which is what you expect from someone 18-21,” Hart said of his situation at City.

“It was difficult for people to necessarily warm to what I was doing.

“It’s been quite politically difficult to believe in me in recent times. I’m a big head to chop off if you want to shake things up.

“But I’m permanent here now. My dedication will never change, no matter where I am. I’ve been at one club for 12 years officially. I’m excited to be at a new one. My whole life is this club.”

Hart may have started in goal in Istanbul but he knows there will be fierce competition for the gloves at Burnley.

Although Pope is now on the treatment table and Tom Heaton is just returning from a calf injury, the Clarets have an embarrassment of riches in the goalkeeping department, with Anders Lindegaard and Adam Legzdins also competing for a place in the team.

Hart is happy to be around such a high quality quintet of goalkeepers and although he is backing himself to shine, he will support whoever is in the team.“I back myself regardless who is where at what club. I back myself to be in a good position, I’m going to train as hard as I can,” he said.

“I spoke to the other two (Pope and Heaton): whoever plays, we’re going to support each other like we have done when we’ve been together in the national team.”

Hart’s difficulties on loan saw him lose his status as England’s No. 1 and then his place in the Three Lions squad entirely.

He believes those troubles have seen people outside the game change their opinion of him.

“Outside football people lost a little bit of respect for me but I know inside I’ve still got that through my hard work, dedication and quality. I want to bring that to Burnley,” he added.

And the former Shrewsbury youngster has no plans to change who he is and how he goes about his game just to win that respect back.

“I’m going to continue being me through the good times and the bad,” he insisted.

“I’m going to keep loving football. That’s one thing I’m most proud of: my hunger and desire for the game has not stopped.”

In that desire for the game he sees something of a kindred spirit in Sean Dyche. Hart could be at the ideal club to get his career back on track and he is determined to enjoy every moment of it.

“He showed great depth of knowledge of my career,” Hart said of his conversations with Dyche.

“The fact is I’ve lost some respect but other people know what I’m capable of and what I bring to a team. Sean is a footballing man and I’m really pleased he saw that in me.

“I’m going to work damn hard, play with a smile on my face and enjoy it.”