Shay Given: Looking after number one

SHAY GIVEN is not prepared to stand idly by at Eastlands this year.

With both Ireland’s No 1 and England’s No 1-in-waiting Joe Hart now vying for the No 1 spot at Manchester City, Given sounds like he’s ready to give manager Roberto Mancini an ultimatum. Certainly, if the Donegal man is not in the starting line-up for the opening day fixture against Spurs on Saturday, he plans to be knocking on the gaffer’s door no later than Monday.

With kick-off in the new Premier League season so close, the uncertainty over his position is an unusual experience for the veteran ‘keeper.

“It’s not ideal obviously,” he says. “You want to know, mentally, whether or not you’re starting. And I don’t know what the manager’s thoughts are because he hasn’t spoken to us. If I don’t start? I don’t know, we’ll cross that bridge after Saturday. But I haven’t joined Man City to sit on the bench. I’ve gone there to play, it’s an ambitious club and I’m an ambitious person.

“I haven’t gone there to take it easy and put my feet up. If that’s not the case, I suppose I’ll sit down on Monday with the club and see where I can go after that.

“I’m just desperate to play on Saturday, I hope I’ll play and I’m looking forward to the new season. But if that’s not the case then I’ll have to speak to the club next week and then decide the next step.”

Mancini has indicated that he would like to keep both Given and Hart but, while that might be good for the club, Given doesn’t reckon it would be necessarily good for the two ‘keepers.

“It’s tough,” he says. “We’re both capable of playing in the Premier League and we’ve proved that. It’s not an ideal situation because only one player can play. It’s different if you’re a midfielder, you can sort of rotate them and play them in different positions but this is a specialist position and you can only play the one player. So it’s not ideal for either of us.

“Joe did well last year and deserves great credit for that but I’d like to think I did ok myself at City. I missed only the last week of the season and I worked hard all summer to be fit for the new campaign. I would like to think that would stand me in good stead as well.”

Sitting on a dressing-room bench at the Irish squad’s training base in Malahide, surrounded by tape recorders and cameras, Given admits that this is not his favourite position.

“I’m 34 and you cherish every year, every game really and you don’t want to miss any football so, for me, it’s very important that I play football.”

Given concedes that going out on loan would be one option but refuses to rise to the bait of reports already linking him with a permanent move to Arsenal. “They’re been linked with lots of goalkeepers over the summer,” he muses. “It probably does a discredit to the guys they already have there. The season starts on Saturday and you know, it’s a fantastic club, Arsenal, don’t get me wrong. But it’s just too soon (to talk about that).”

His first preference, he maintains, is to regain his place at City now that he has fully recovered from the dislocated shoulder he sustained towards the end of last season. But, whatever happens, he is clearly a man in a hurry to get things sorted. “The transfer window closes two-and-a-half weeks after Saturday,” he points out, “so we’ll hopefully discuss things after Monday.”

GIVEN isn’t the only Irish player facing an uncertain future at Man City, with some reports suggesting that out of favour Stephen Ireland might not even make the first-team squad. That prospect would leave the Cobh man with a big decision to make.

“Stephen’s a top player,’’ Given says. “Last season he was a little hit and miss because he had some problems with injuries and stuff but the season before he was the first name on the team sheet, he was our best player by a mile that season. And even seeing him training, he’s a top player.”

As Given prepares for tomorrow night’s game against Argentina at the Aviva Stadium, he reminds you of another reason why it’s a matter of urgency for him to sort out his immediate club football – the kick-off to Ireland’s Euro 2012 is only three weeks away.

“Look at Keiren (Westwood) in the last year or two, he’s come on in leaps and bounds,” says the man with 103 caps.

“He’s pushing hard for a start here with Ireland as well. So it’s important that I’m playing. We’ve got big games in September and it’s important that I’m sharp. You don’t want to be in the reserves and then going into the international team for the qualifiers.”