Trap caught out as Given ends Ireland career

Shay Given has described his decision to retire as Ireland’s goalkeeper as “an extremely difficult one to make”.

Although the 36-year-old had indicated he would review his international future after the European Championships, the sudden announcement yesterday that he was stepping down took many by surprise — including, one must presume, Giovanni Trapattoni, who had said as recently as Sunday he fully expected Given, along with his fellow senior players Richard Dunne, Robbie Keane and Damien Duff, to continue with the Irish squad for the forthcoming World Cup campaign.

Marco Tardelli was still echoing the manager’s comments only hours before the news of Given’s retirement broke yesterday, as a depleted Irish squad trained in Malahide before flying out to Belgrade today for tomorrow’s friendly game against Serbia.