Shay Given is one of the most interesting stories of the past few Premiership seasons. His stock has risen to epic proportions with some, mostly Newcastle fans, claiming he’s the league’s best and maybe even amongst the world’s top goalies.
There is no doubt that Given is a quality keeper, especially when you consider he’s ‘undersized’ if you’re a traditionalist. But he’s also sat behind one of the most consistently shocking defenses England has seen during his career at St. James’. There’s no better way for a keeper to look good than to have 20-30 shots fired his way every match, even if he concedes a couple he’ll be hailed a hero. So for us it’s a little tough to gauge how Given would do at a club like United or Chelsea, where you’re sitting on your thumbs for the whole match and then have to pull off a world class save on a moments notice.
You might think that any goalie in this situation might seek a club where his palms will get less of a stinging every week but Given is happy to continue as the busiest player in the Premiership,
“I have got four years left on my contract and I will definitely be here for them – and hopefully a few more beyond that,” Given told the club’s official website.
“But we will have to see how my body holds up before I start thinking about another 10.
“When I signed, I knew I was coming to a huge football club.
“It’s a special place to play football, what with the fans and the stadium, and hopefully we will be able to win something while I’m here because you can just imagine what the place would be like.”
Great news for Newcastle supporters, and this’ll only cement his already-cemented place in Geordie history.