|
| Home | Newcastle Womens FC | A-Z Business Directory | Wor City | Geordie Music | Toon Ale | The Team | NUFC Shop | NUFC Forum |
|
Strengths & Weaknesses
NUFC Stats
Career Stats
HonoursPlayer Info Paying Blackburn Rovers £1.5m it was the then United manager Kenny Dalglish who brought the amiable Irishman to Tyneside, having also signed him for Rovers in the first place from Celtic while manager at Ewood Park. And Given has been a first-team regular for Newcastle ever since and along with Alan Shearer, the club's best performer in those years with consistently outstanding displays between the sticks. Described as a 'truly great keeper' and compared to the great Gordon Banks by former Arsenal legend Bob Wilson, Given has become one of the best 'keepers in the Premiership and indeed Europe too. Starting out Born in County Donegal, Lifford Ireland, Shay's rise to goalkeeping excellence started at an early age, a regular for his school team St. Columba's College of Stranorlar, Given also played for a local mens side Lifford Celtic at age 14 - that's how good he was. And it wasn't long before his special talents were being noticed by the footballing world as well, with a host of club's after the young and exciting talent. Bradford, managed by former Ireland star Frank Stapleton at the time, were first in for him and had the thin and fresh faced 'keeper on trial, playing him in a youth tournament at Leeds. But he had other offers, a huge offer in fact in the shape of Manchester United where Shay spent a couple of weeks in the company of Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford. In awe of Peter Schmeichel his big hero and a player who he later confessed to owning several mementoes of, Given was very keen on their determination to sign him on apprenticeship terms, but with the great Dane in goal however he knew his chances of making it with the Red Devils was slim. Shay the Bhoy So after much consideration and on the advice of his mentor and father (also of the same name and a former 'keeper too) Given finally opted for another of his many suitors - Scottish giants Glasgow Celtic. In doing so following in the footsteps of another of his big heroes and fellow Donegal man Packie Bonner - who was keeping goal for the men from Paradise at the time of Shay's arrival as a 15 year-old. Celtic were initially alerted to Given's potential during a pre-season tour of Ireland in the early 1990s and with fellow Irishman Liam Brady as manager as well as a rich history of having signed and nurtured Irish players over the years, Shay felt comfortable with a move to Parkhead. A dream move he thought. But his stay was a short one. Struggling to emerge from the shadows of Graeme Souness' lead Rangers dominance, times were hard for the Scottish side with gates falling below the 20,000 mark as fans become disillusioned with affairs on the pitch. Without an appearance to his name, although he did sit on the bench for an Old Firm game, Given was soon packing his bags when in 1994 a call from one of Celtic's greatest ever players - Dalglish - meant a move across the Border to England. Shay the Rover, Robin & Black Cat The Scot had liked what he saw in the youngster and had snapped up Given in the hope he would go on to become Tim Flowers long-term replacement for Blackburn who were building a side capable of challenging for the Premiership Title, eventually going on to win it in 1995 with a certain Geordie No.9 firing them to glory. Shay's time at Blackburn wasn't as fruitful as he had hoped. Ambitious and eager to get into the first-team even at such a young age, an immovable force stood in his way. Flowers, a big money signing in the peak of his years and an England international, was in no mood to relinquish his place to a bright young starlet so Dalglish allowed his future goalie to go out on loan to Swindon Town where he played 2 games, safe in the knowledge he could call on veteran Bobby Mimms should his No.1 fall victim to an injury. Wanting another taste of first-team football Given was again sent out on loan in the same year. Packed off to Sunderland who were pushing for promotion Shay made a huge and spectacular impression at Roker Park. Keeping an incredible 16 clean-sheets in 17 games for the Wearsiders, the then 18 year-old helped Newcastle's local rivals achieve that, picking up a 1st Division Championship medal along the way and earning rave reviews as the best young shot-stopper in the Country. The then Sunderland manager Peter Reid was desperate to sign the Irishman and was prepared to pay £1m for his services, even promising Given the No.1 shirt but he still felt he could make it at Blackburn and Dalglish, in his new role as Director of football having moved upstairs after guiding the Lancashire side to the League Title, didn't want to sell. So Shay returned to Ewood. Shay the international Shay's father had predicted his laddie would play for Ireland before he was 21 and true enough, his son did just that when Mick McCarthy handed the rising star a full debut against Russia at Lansdowne Road back in 1996. Aged just 19, Given become Ireland's youngest ever 'keeper and he has been their No.1 ever since, amassing over 60 caps, forcing Dean Kiely (a very good 'keeper himself) to retire from international duty and representing his Country in the Japan/Korea 2002 World Cup. By the time he retires, Shay could well have over 100 caps to his name. Shay the Magpie Despite becoming a full international while at the club, Shay only ever made 2 appearances for Blackburn in the 3 years he spent there and the man who brought him to Rovers had since left to take over at the Toon following Kevin Keegan's shock resignation in January 1997. And it wasn't long before rumours started to circulate that Dalglish was planning to make a Summer swoop for the 'keeper he claimed could one day be the best in the world. Eventually signing him for the second time ready for season 1997-98. Given had joined a side that had just finished second in the Premiership and had qualified for the Champions League - he had to pinch himself at the prospect of facing Europe's best and playing in front of a packed St. James' Park so early in his career he would later reveal. In a new look United side, the Ireland man started the season in goal and made a total of 34 appearances (26 League starts), played in Newcastle's momentous 3-2 win over Barcelona at the Old Gallowgate and proved just what a fine shot-stopper he was. Dalglish had signed a top-class goalie in the making. The joy of his big move was tempered by huge disappointment for Shay however, climbing the steps of Wembley to pick up a losers medal after United were beaten 2-0 by Arsenal in the FA Cup Final to cap an awful season for the Magpies who had finished down in 13th place in the League. The following season Shay started again in goal but the man who had played such a pivotal role in his early career was soon sacked weeks into the campaign - a big blow for Given who respected Dalglish and credits him as a friend. In came Ruud Gullit and if Given had any fears about his place in the first-team when the Dutchman arrived, those were soon forgot about, playing in 31 of United's 38 League games. But like the previous season, and what would become a common occurrence throughout his Toon career, Shay suffered heartbreak for a second time - again in the FA Cup Final. Unlike the season before however, he didn't even make the starting 11 this time, losing his place to Steve Harper who couldn't prevent a 2-0 win for Manchester United. Like Dalglish, Gullit didn't last long either and was soon on his way too in the following season after a 2-1 defeat at St. James' Park in the rainto Sunderland where his decision to drop Shearer proved fatal for the former Chelsea manager. During an international break Newcastle quickly appointed Geordie man and former Barcelona and England manager Bobby Robson who's remit was to drag the club off the foot of the Premiership table. Bobby was very keen to assess just what he had to work with - including his two highly rated 'keepers which meant Given had a fight on his hands and he and Harper had to share the shirt for the remainder of the campaign with the Irishman making 17 appearances intotal. Unhappy at how things were planning out for him, Given in a shock move handed in a transfer request early in season 2000-01 which was rejected by the club out of hand and angered Robson who gave the player a grilling demanding he show some loyalty and fight to become the No.1 And after a heart to heart, Shay accepted he was in the wrong and knuckled down. Later confessing he wasn't thinking straight and crediting the episode as the making of him as it forced him to focus and made him doubly determined to make it at the club. Make it he did. Since then he and United never really looked back. Finishing 4th in 2001-02, Newcastle had qualified for the Champions League again and Shay in particular had a great season, winning save of the campaign for a one-handed tip over in the Tyne-Wear derby at the Stadium of light from a Kevin Phillips shot, selected in the Premiership XI and truly establishing himself as the Toon's No.1 and one of the best in the League. After a successful World Cup campaign with Ireland over in Japan and Korea Shay signed a new 5 year deal with Newcastle and an even greater season followed in 2002-03 with a 3rd place finish and an amazing run in the Champions League that saw Given emerge as a genuine world-class goalie at the highest level. But the success wasn't to last. Losing a bitter painful penalty shoot-out at home to Partizan Belgrade in the 2003-04 qualifiers meant United had to settle for a UEFA Cup place. Going all the way to the Semi-Final Shay and Co. lost to Marseille and in the League Newcastle missed out on a Champions League spot, finishing 5th. Just 4 games into 2004-05 and Bobby who had become a knight by then, was sacked after a poor start with Graeme Souness eventually becoming his successor. A disastrous season ensued on all fronts. Defeats to Sporting Lisbon in the UEFA Cup Quarter-Final and to Man Utd in the FA Cup Semi at Cardiff meant another season without a medal for the 'keeper. Speculation soon followed that Shay would be on his way but no bids were forthcoming and the club reiterated their stance - not for sale at any price. Given, having made over 300 appearances for the club and held in high esteem by fans will head into his 9th season at the club and in those years he has pretty much seen it all and at his peak the challenge for him now is to play his part in the Souness revolution and to lay his safe hands on that elusive winners medal that he so desperately craves and deserves. That we all do. With Given in goal, we have a fighting chance. Shay the man Not much is known about Shay Given the man, but what we do know is that he is married with kids, is very much a private family man dedicated to his profession and is known as a gentleman, always eager to sign autographs and give up his leisure time to good causes. Many of which he is actively involved in - becoming an ambassador for the Macmillan Cancer Relief charity. Wor Shay likes to put something back in so to speak. As a sportsman he is obsessively focused on his career and is highly analytical and critical of his own game, wanting to improve every aspect of it. He is also a student of the game and is fiercely ambitious yet utterly loyal and committed to the cause - a team player and a players player. A positive thinker and mentally strong, Given is also an optimistic character (he has to be to play for wor lot) who is supremely confident in his own ability without being arrogant or flash. A true professional, a top bloke and above all else, a great player. *This profile of Shay Given is copyright of Newcastle-Online.com and may not be reproduced, rewrote or copied in part in any way, shape or form without prior written consent*
*Does not include this season - to be added at the end of the campaign. Notes: Please allow for any inaccuracies. If you do spot a mistake, then please report them and we will make the necessary changes. |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Contact
| Write
For Us | Editorial
Policy | Advertise
| Privacy | TOS
| Newsnow
| Copyright
| Site
Map | We
Support | Top
|
NUFC Player Profiles - Shay Given
Select a player to view his profile
Name: Shay Given
Shay Given - Strengths & Weaknesses