Shay Given facts for kids
Given playing for Manchester City in 2010
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Séamus John James Given | ||
| Date of birth | 20 April 1976 | ||
| Place of birth | Lifford, Ireland | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Lifford Celtic | |||
| 1991–1994 | Celtic | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1994–1997 | Blackburn Rovers | 2 | (0) |
| 1994 | → Swindon Town (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 1996 | → Swindon Town (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 1996 | → Sunderland (loan) | 17 | (0) |
| 1997–2009 | Newcastle United | 354 | (0) |
| 2009–2011 | Manchester City | 50 | (0) |
| 2011–2015 | Aston Villa | 37 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | → Middlesbrough (loan) | 16 | (0) |
| 2015–2017 | Stoke City | 8 | (0) |
| Total | 489 | (0) | |
| International career | |||
| Republic of Ireland U21 | 5 | (0) | |
| 1996–2016 | Republic of Ireland | 134 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2014–2015 | Aston Villa (assistant) | ||
| 2020 | Derby County (co-interim) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Séamus John James Given (born 20 April 1976) is a retired Irish professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Many people think he was one of the best goalkeepers in the history of Irish football. During his best years, he was also seen as one of the top goalkeepers in the Premier League.
Given played 134 times for the Republic of Ireland. This is the second-highest number of appearances, or "caps," for an Irish player. Only Robbie Keane has played more games for the country.
His career started at Celtic, but he moved to Blackburn Rovers in 1994 without playing for Celtic's first team. He became a star at Newcastle United, where he played for 12 years. He later played for big clubs like Manchester City and Aston Villa.
Given played for Ireland in the 2002 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012. He retired from international football in 2016 after a long and successful career.
Contents
Club Career
Early Career and Blackburn Rovers
Born in Lifford, Ireland, Given started playing for a local team called Lifford Celtic. His talent was noticed by the Scottish club Celtic, and he signed with them in 1992. However, he never got to play in a match for their main team.
In 1994, he moved to England to join Blackburn Rovers. At Blackburn, the main goalkeeper was Tim Flowers, so Given was sent on loan to other clubs to get more experience. He played for Swindon Town and Sunderland. He helped both teams win their leagues and get promoted.
His great performances on loan caught the eye of Kenny Dalglish, the manager of Newcastle United. In 1997, Dalglish signed Given for a fee of £1.5 million.
Newcastle United
Given quickly became the number one goalkeeper at Newcastle. He helped the team reach the FA Cup final in both 1998 and 1999. Unfortunately, Newcastle lost both finals, first to Arsenal and then to Manchester United.
A funny moment happened in a match against Coventry City in 1997. Given rolled the ball out to kick it far down the field. He forgot that Coventry's striker, Dion Dublin, was standing behind him. Dublin quickly ran up and scored in the empty net. This led to a popular joke that Given "is the only Irishman who doesn't know where Dublin is."
Given was a key player for Newcastle for many years. He was named in the Premier League Team of the Season twice, for the 2001–02 and 2005–06 seasons. He played in major European competitions like the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Cup. After playing 462 games for the club, he decided it was time for a new challenge.
Manchester City
On 1 February 2009, Given joined Manchester City for a fee of around £6 million. He wanted to join a club that was competing for major trophies. He was an important player and was even made captain for some games.
During his time at City, the club won the FA Cup in 2011 and qualified for the Champions League. However, a talented young goalkeeper named Joe Hart became the first choice. This meant Given played fewer games in his last season with the club.
Aston Villa and Later Career
In 2011, Given moved to Aston Villa to get more playing time. He signed a five-year contract. He had some good seasons with Villa, but eventually, he lost his starting spot to Brad Guzan.
One of the highlights of his time at Villa was helping the team reach the 2015 FA Cup final. He played in every FA Cup match that season. Villa lost the final to Arsenal, but it was a great achievement for Given to play in another final at the age of 39.
After leaving Aston Villa, he had a brief loan spell at Middlesbrough where he played very well. He then spent two seasons at Stoke City before announcing his retirement from football in 2018.
International Career
Given had a very long and successful career playing for the Republic of Ireland. He made his first appearance, or "cap," in 1996. He went on to become his country's first-choice goalkeeper for over a decade.
He played in every match for Ireland at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. The team did very well, reaching the knockout stage before losing to Spain on penalties. He also played for Ireland at UEFA Euro 2012.
In 2009, he earned his 100th cap for Ireland. He is part of the FIFA Century Club, which is for players who have played 100 or more international matches.
Given retired from international football in 2012 but made a comeback in 2014 to help the team qualify for UEFA Euro 2016. He was part of the squad for the tournament but did not play. He retired for good in July 2016, having played 134 times for his country.
Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Given became a coach. In 2018, he was appointed as the goalkeeping coach at Derby County, working with manager Frank Lampard.
He later became a first-team coach at Derby under manager Wayne Rooney. He left the club in 2021.
Personal Life
Given was awarded the Freedom of County Donegal in 2006, which is a special honor given in his home town of Lifford.
He is also known for his charity work. He has helped organize events to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. His mother passed away from cancer when he was young, so this is a cause that is very important to him.
Honours
Sunderland
- Football League First Division: 1995–96
Swindon Town
- Football League Second Division: 1995–96
Newcastle United
- FA Cup: 1997–98; runner-up
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2006
Manchester City
- FA Cup: 2010–11
Aston Villa
- FA Cup: 2014–15; runner-up
Republic of Ireland
- Nations Cup: 2011
Individual
- PFA Team of the Year: 2001–02 Premier League, 2005–06 Premier League
- North-East FWA Player of the Year: 2002, 2006
- Newcastle United Player of the Year: 2004–05, 2005–06
- FAI Senior International Player of the Year: 2005, 2006
See also
In Spanish: Shay Given para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
Images for kids
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Given warming up for Newcastle in 2007
