Shay Given

[SkStu]

Westwood would be my choice. With all due respect, Given is not a serious option for us now surely? Time to look forward in my opinion. If he had retired and was enjoying the form of his life then it would be a no-brainer but the reality is he is not playing regularly and has mostly looked below average when he has. Westwood, Bunn or Forde all worthy of squad places ahead of him (if an eye on the future is a priority for you which it is for me).

Who'd ever have guessed that we have a goalkeeper crisis in the Irish team?? We used to churn out top quality goalkeepers like Aussie soaps churned out top quality, big breasted babes! :D

[gastric]

This seems to confirm what has already mentioned on here.


http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/trapattoni-turns-down-veterans-offer-of-return-to-ireland-fold-3361537.html

[NeverFeltBetter]

Good. It's to move forward with other keepers.

[Charlie Darwin]

Back in the Villa goal against Bradford tonight. Ireland also back in the team alongside Clark, with Stevens and Carruthers on the bench.

[tetsujin1979]

can't really blame him for Bradford's goal, Vlaar was muscled out of it by Hanson, who he was supposed to be marking, to power the header home

[elroy]

Flappy, flappy Shay Given, wafting at another Millwall cross. Villa petrified any time the ball comes into the box. Like when you were a kid and heading the ball used to hurt, especially when you got it on the nose and your eyes watered. Or was that just me?

From the bbc live text.

Suppose Shay was never the most convincing at crosses. Probably doesnt help he now has a back four in front of him who havent a clue how to deal with them either.

[IsMiseSean]

Flappy, flappy Shay Given, wafting at another Millwall cross. Villa petrified any time the ball comes into the box. Like when you were a kid and heading the ball used to hurt, especially when you got it on the nose and your eyes watered. Or was that just me?


No it was me too. I never would've made it as an old fashioned centre half...

[DannyInvincible]

Jim McGuinness asked Shay if he'd be interested in playing for Donegal when they met up at Celtic's CL tie against Juve the other week, and Shay may well take him up on the offer some day: http://www.donegaldemocrat.ie/sport/local-sport/given-still-thinks-about-playing-for-donegal-1-4799444


SHAY GIVEN hasn’t given up on his dream of keeping goal for Donegal’s inter-county footballers.

The Aston Villa netminder was a spectator at Celtic’s last 16 Champions League tie against Juventus on Tuesday night alongside Donegal manager Jim McGuinness.

“I’ve gotten to know him through the Donegal football team goalkeeping coach — Pat Shovlin — who said Jim would like to meet up with me at the Juventus game,” Given write in his column in The Sunday Sun.

“So we met up in Glasgow and it was a really good night despite the result against Juventus. I enjoyed his company and we spoke a lot about sport. He’s an intelligent guy who’s really passionate about sport and it was interesting to hear his slant on various things.

“He knows so much, but what struck me about him was that he’s really keen to keep on learning and he took the chance to pick my brain as much as I did his.

“He asked me too did I ever think about playing for Donegal some day. I don’t know if he was serious or joking, it’s hard to tell with Jim. If he was serious, then who knows! As I said to him — ‘never say never’!”

[paul_oshea]

He is useless in the air, he would be no good.

[Crosby87]

Shay writes article in the Sun:
http://www.thesun.ie/irishsol/homepage/sport/irishfootball/4857286/Shay-Given-Its-Swede-dreams-for-Giovanni-Trapattoni.html

[Grafter]

Sad to read of marriage difficulties... not a great 12 months:(
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/shay-given-aston-villa-star-1794665

[Sullivinho]

He'll be racking up the appearances with that wan. Pat on the back, Shay!

[Yard of Pace]

Serious rack. Shades of Oliver Khan about all this. Must be a legendary goalkeeper thing.

[tricky_colour]

Well he walked out on Ireland and then wanted to come back, maybe the same will happen with his wife? (if my facts are correct?).

4th choice lover perhaps?

[NeverFeltBetter]

"Seven months later they were engaged and they *married two years later in a *Catholic ceremony in???Hex ham, Northumberland."

Some top notch writing here.

[Charlie Darwin]

Off to Doncaster for the season according to the Heil. Pinch, salt, etc.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2361811/Shay-Given-joins-Doncaster.html

[pineapple stu]

Is Neil Sullivan finally retiring then?

Edit - actually, was released yesterday.

[ArdeeBhoy]

Sullivan linked with a return to Wimbledon...

Championship's probably his level now, sadly.

[Charlie Darwin]

Doncaster have signed Ross Turnbull. Not sure where this leaves Given: http://www.doncasterroversfc.co.uk/news/article/ross-turnbull-signs-958357.aspx

[vinnie]

Back to being a reserve again ?

[ArdeeBhoy]

Thought Boro' had signed Turnbull.

Maybe Given will go there instead, but given his recent injury record/ 'alleged' eye problem, going to do well to get much more than a Championship club, or possibly the reserve gig at Celtic?

[Colbert Report]

He's only made three competitive appearances for Aston Villa since the nightmare in Poland last summer. I reckon he'll rot on the bench and collect his wages, just like Stephen Ireland. He's a victim of his own contract.

[OwlsFan]

He's a victim of his own contract.

I wouldn't mind being a "victim" on that sort of money.

Someone told me that he has expressed an interest in returning to the fold. Is this true?

[Stuttgart88]

I think he might need some extra money if he's going to permanently shack up with that young wan. Sounds like it's not just his on-pitch judgment that's diminishing.

[pineapple stu]

Someone told me that he has expressed an interest in returning to the fold. Is this true?
Came out of international retirement at the start of the year.

[ArdeeBhoy]

He's a millionaire 'several times over', acc. to a good source...

[Grafter]

I think he might need some extra money if he's going to permanently shack up with that young wan. Sounds like it's not just his on-pitch judgment that's diminishing.

I see that shack up lasting a long, long time as it could only be love:rolleyes:

[pineapple stu]

Not even named on the bench today. Is he injured or something?

[EastTerracer]

Not even named on the bench today. Is he injured or something?

Stu, I presume you are referring to Doncaster but Given hasn't signed for them so far. AFAIK, he is still at Villa and waiting for a better offer. Story during the week was that he's still hoping for a Premier League club to give him an offer.

[Charlie Darwin]

Stu, I presume you are referring to Doncaster but Given hasn't signed for them so far. AFAIK, he is still at Villa and waiting for a better offer. Story during the week was that he's still hoping for a Premier League club to give him an offer.
I suspect Given's failure to move has more to do with the shady Irish consortium's takeover bid stalling. At this stage, I think Shay would even consider signing for Newcastle.

[Charlie Darwin]

Not sure this is what Shay is looking for: http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/english-soccer/shay-given-a-target-for-liverpool-1.1510130

[tricky_colour]

I would think he would be happy enough at Liverpool as a backup keeper, he's not going to get much better without dropping
down the leagues, and even then his keeping days are numbered so better off at a bigger club with coaching opportunities etc..

[nigel-harps1954]

West Brom rumoured to be interested.

[DannyInvincible]

West Brom signed Lee Camp. According to SSN, a move for Given isn't looking likely.

[DannyInvincible]

'Is Shay Given Set For Dramatic Comeback?': http://balls.ie/football/shay-given-set-dramatic-comeback


Shay Given has revealed that he is open to returning to the Irish international fold under the new coaching set up of Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane.

Speaking to Off The Ball last night Given stated,

“I’d love to get back playing club football. Then if Martin or Roy wanted me in the future, I would have a conversation with them and see where that took me.”

He did however acknowledge that he is a far way off match sharpness at the moment, currently struggling for game time at Aston Villa.

We were also treated to an insight into Roy Keane: The Man Behind The Lens when Shay gave his thoughts on the Corkman’s famed temperament,

“People probably read and write about all the bad stuff. You can have a laugh and a joke with him as well. People don’t see that so much. If you type his name into YouTube, you’ll see the different rants and raves he’s had during his career.”

[NeverFeltBetter]

No thanks. Even if he started playing on a more regular basis, we need to move forward with more long-term prospects.

[Stuttgart88]

Today's Indo said he offered to return under Trap but Trap ignored him.

[Charlie Darwin]

I thought we knew that already, no? He made his desire public and Trap said something like "no, we move forward now but we know we have Shay if we need him."

[NeverFeltBetter]

I'm pretty sure he said "Ireland has no goalkeeper".

[DannyInvincible]

Shay heads on loan to Middlesbrough for a month on deadline day for loan transfers before the January transfer window opens: http://thescore.thejournal.ie/shay-given-loan-boro-1197348-Nov2013


125 TIMES CAPPED Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given has agreed to join Championship side Middlesborough on a one month loan this evening.

The 37-year-old has long been out of favour at Aston Villa since Paul Lambert took charge of the midlands side, but could potentially make his long overdue 600th appearance in club football when Bolton visit the Riverside this Saturday.

Today marks the deadline for loan signings before the January transfer windows opens.

[SkStu]

Shay heads on loan to Middlesbrough for a month on deadline day for loan transfers before the January transfer window opens: http://thescore.thejournal.ie/shay-given-loan-boro-1197348-Nov2013

He's no David Forde.

[tetsujin1979]

Can't be too many players to turn out for Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough?

[nigel-harps1954]

Can't be too many players to turn out for Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough?

A quick google suggests Alan Foggon and Stan Anderson being the only two.

[Paddy Garcia]

Debut for Middlesbrough ............... swiftly followed by [another] international retirement!

[geysir]

He's no David Forde.
I'd say there are moments when Shay is glad he isn't David Forde, when he observes the Securicor truck come to his residence every week to deliver his wages in 2 suitcases.

[DannyInvincible]

Shay kept a clean sheet on his debut for Middlesbrough against Bolton. Jermaine Beckford put a last minute penalty over his cross-bar.

[DannyInvincible]

'Swans set to offer Shay Given route back to big time': http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/swans-set-to-offer-shay-given-route-back-to-big-time-29831273.html


Swansea City's manager Michael Laudrup has placed former Irish international Shay Given on a three-man shortlist to step in as an emergency short-term replacement for the club's injured goalkeeper Michel Vorm.

Vorm is nursing a knee injury, which resulted in his absence from the Welsh side for Monday's Premier League game against Hull. And if an operation is required to solve the problem then Laudrup is preparing a back-up plan which entails entering the transfer market in January.

Given's willingness to move to south Wales is not in doubt. Having fallen down the pecking order at Aston Villa, the 37-year-old has thrived under the responsibility of being a No 1 again after moving on loan to Middlesbrough at the end of last month.

That deal expires on December 27 and is unlikely to be extended -- as the club's regular goalkeeper Jason Steele will be available again after completing a three-match suspension.

"We will have to make a decision about surgery for Michel at some point," said Laudrup.

"We are not talking about a long-term absence but it may be something that just has to be done."

[DannyInvincible]

O'Neill is open to Shay making a return to international football, according to Ken Early (https://twitter.com/kenearlys/status/413652608038236160).


martin o'neill not ruling out return to ireland duty for shay given

[Crosby87]

The whole Presser here:
http://www.newstalk.ie/reader/47.302.347/18439/0/

[KK77]

I wouldn't go down this road myself. The past is the past and we need to move on and give Westwood and Forde etc the chance. They are the future.