Shay Given

**SkStu** · 15/01/2013, 5:54 PM

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!

**gastric** · 22/01/2013, 6:33 AM

This seems to confirm what has already mentioned on here.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/socc...d-3361537.html

**NeverFeltBetter** · 22/01/2013, 11:26 AM

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

**Charlie Darwin** · 22/01/2013, 6:54 PM

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

**tetsujin1979** · 22/01/2013, 8:21 PM

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** · 25/01/2013, 8:33 PM

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** · 25/01/2013, 9:23 PM

Originally Posted by 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?

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

**DannyInvincible** · 22/02/2013, 1:15 PM

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/...egal-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** · 22/02/2013, 1:55 PM

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

**Crosby87** · 24/03/2013, 2:23 PM

Shay writes article in the Sun:
http://www.thesun.ie/irishsol/homepa...rapattoni.html

**Grafter** · 31/03/2013, 12:01 PM

Sad to read of marriage difficulties... not a great 12 months

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...a-star-1794665

**Sullivinho** · 31/03/2013, 3:25 PM

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

**Yard of Pace** · 31/03/2013, 4:29 PM

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

**tricky_colour** · 01/04/2013, 1:51 AM

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** · 01/04/2013, 2:03 AM

"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.