Stars aligning for Shay Given

This may come as a shock, but nine years have somehow slipped by since Roy Keane made his infamous snipe at Shay Given, writes Brendan O’Brien

This was back in the days when Keano was still the man with the Midas touch at Sunderland having turned a Championship season that threatened relegation into one that delivered promotion and his weekly press conferences used to throw up all sorts of gems.

Among them was a suggestion Given’s desire to squeeze every minute out of his Ireland career was blocking the supply chain behind him.