The England goalkeeping coach, Dave Watson, could be recruited to Manuel Pellegrini's backroom staff at Manchester City because of the relationship he has forged with Joe Hart while working with him on international duty.

Watson, currently at Norwich City, has been discussed by the deposed Premier League champions as they look to appoint a new mentor for Hart now Massimo Battara has left the Etihad Stadium as part of the clearout of Roberto Mancini's regime.

Hart's tie-up with Watson goes back to when England's No1 spent the 2009-10 season on loan at Birmingham City, winning the club's player of the season award and being voted on to the Professional Footballers' Association team of the year.

It is one of the reasons why Hodgson brought in Watson among his first appointments and has led to talks at Manchester City about whether the 39-year-old could be recruited to work with Hart again on a day-to-day basis.

Pellegrini, waiting to be announced as Mancini's successor, will clearly have his own input and may want to appoint his own man but Hart's views will also be taken into consideration.

Watson's playing career was spent at Barnsley before he was forced to retire with a knee injury at the age of 28. Since then he has also worked as a goalkeeping coach at Northampton Town, Huddersfield Town, Oldham Athletic and Nottingham Forest.