Mancini would ‘respect’ Given decision to leave

SHAY GIVEN has moved closer to the Manchester City exit door as manager Roberto Mancini said he would “respect” the keeper if he wishes to move.

Given — unhappy at losing his place to Joe Hart — has been linked with a move to Arsenal, or even a move to Fulham should Mark Schwarzer move to the Gunners.

City manager Mancini said: “I hope he (Given) will stay with us because we are in four competitions. But I respect his wishes if he wants to leave.”

Mancini unveiled Italian international Mario Balotelli at a press conference yesterday and the Manchester merry-go-round doesn’t end there. Mancini hopes to sign James Milner today with the move likely to see Stephen Ireland go the other way. “I hope we can close it between today (Tuesday) and tomorrow. Milner is a good player, an English player — which is important. I think he can play in different positions.”

Asked if the deal would involve Ireland, Mancini added: “I hope so.”

One Irishman staying at Eastlands is young defender Greg Cunningham, who has signed a new four-year contract with the club.

The 19-year-old left-back has been staking his claim in the senior squad at Eastlands since January and impressed Mancini enough to earn a new deal.

“I’m delighted to have signed a new deal with City,” Cunningham said.

“Now I need to impress the manager as much as I can and get as much game time as I can, too.”

19-year-old Greg Cunningham has continued his stellar year by agreeing a new four-year contract. The Galway starlet made his first-team debut in an FA Cup game against Scunthorpe and made his senior international bow against Algeria in May at the RDS, adding a substitute appearance against Argentina last week.

“I’ve been working hard and it’s been an unbelievable year for me so far,” he said. “To get this new deal sorted and win my first full cap for my country has exceeded all my expectations.”

Elsewhere Spartak Moscow’s new £9.5 million recruit Aiden McGeady has revealed the constant abuse he received in Glasgow, some of it for being “an Irish Catholic”, led to his decision to leave Celtic.

The 24-year-old Republic of Ireland midfielder completed his move last week and flies to Russia today to start his new life. McGeady is keen to get away from the vitriol that he regularly encountered in his native city.

“Moscow is a huge city and it will be possible to have a degree of privacy,” he told the Daily Record.

“Glasgow really is a goldfish bowl and it’s one of the things I’m glad to be getting away from.

“Neil Lennon (Celtic manager) said to me I might miss the adulation Celtic players get but I’m not so sure. My view is I need a break from it. I’ve had my experiences of Glasgow and I do need a change.

“There is always someone wanting to have a go at you. I got into a few fights in the past and wish I hadn’t.

“I let my guard down a few times and it cost me. But some of the verbal abuse I had to take was really out of order. Because I’m a footballer, people think they are entitled to say what they like and get away with it.

“I’m talking about grown men here. They would shout, ‘I hate you’ or ‘I’m gonna kill you, wee man’.

“There was also a lot worse but I’m not going to go into that.”

McGeady claimed his decision to play for the Republic of Ireland rather than Scotland also made him a target for abuse.

“There are a lot of horrible places in Scotland for that type of thing: Tynecastle, Ibrox obviously is always going to be bad with the Celtic-Rangers rivalry, Motherwell, Falkirk. Some fans hate everything Celtic stand for and everything I stand for as an Irish Catholic playing for Celtic. It begins in the warm-ups before games with all sorts of stuff being shouted, even from little kids.”