Shay Given eyes perfect sign off in France

Shay Given stopped short of a declaration he wouldn’t answer Ireland’s call should his phone ring next September, but his every utterance yesterday made it clear the end of his 21-year international career is nigh.

The only question is whether that is days away or weeks. The 40-year old is one of four men scrambling for three goalkeeping slots in Martin O’Neill’s squad for next month’s European Championship. Such is the uncertainty over the position in recent years he could travel as number one or not at all.

“I’ve had a fair run at it, but I still feel I have something left to give,” he said. “Hopefully in France I’ll have something to give. That decision is obviously taken out of my hands in terms of who goes, but I’d like to think I can do enough over the next week to 10 days to show that I should.”