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Shay Given

Shay Given
Shay Given.jpg
Given playing for Manchester City in 2010
Personal information
Full name Séamus John James Given
Date of birth (1976-04-20) 20 April 1976 (age 40)
Place of birth Lifford, County Donegal, Ireland
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
Stoke City
Number 24
Youth career
1991–1994 Celtic
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1994–1997 Blackburn Rovers 2 (0)
1994 Swindon Town (loan) 0 (0)
1996 Swindon Town (loan) 5 (0)
1996 Sunderland (loan) 17 (0)
1997–2009 Newcastle United 354 (0)
2009–2011 Manchester City 50 (0)
2011–2015 Aston Villa 37 (0)
2013–2014 Middlesbrough (loan) 16 (0)
2015– Stoke City 8 (0)
National team
Republic of Ireland U21 5 (0)
1996–2016 Republic of Ireland 134 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15:13, 18 September 2016 (UTC).

Séamus John James "Shay" Given (born 20 April 1976) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Stoke City.

Having surpassed the total of 100 caps required for membership, he is part of the FIFA Century Club. Given gained his first international cap in 1996 and played in goal during every match for his country during the 2002 FIFA World Cup campaign, helping them reach the knockout stage. He was later on the pitch in Paris when the Republic of Ireland were knocked out of the play-offs for a spot in the 2010 FIFA World Cup by France before helping his team qualify for UEFA Euro 2012. Given played at UEFA Euro 2012 and was selected in Martin O'Neill's 23-man squad for UEFA Euro 2016 but didn't appear in any of Ireland's four matches at the tournament. Given is the second most capped Republic of Ireland player (after Robbie Keane). He announced his international retirement in July 2016, having amassed 134 caps for his country and kept 52 clean sheets.

Given started his career at Celtic, however he never made a first-team appearance and he was released and signed by Blackburn Rovers on a free transfer in 1994. Given was part of both the Sunderland team who won the Football League First Division title in 1995–96 and the Swindon Town team who won the Football League Second Division title that same season, while on loan from Blackburn Rovers. He was signed by Newcastle United in 1997 for a fee of £1.5 million, and it was there that he began competing to be a first-choice Premier League goalkeeper. Given was part of the teams who came runners-up in the 1998 and 1999 FA Cup campaigns, and was named in the Premier League Team of the Season for 2001–02 and 2005–06. He played in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup with Newcastle, and was involved in the club's title challenge in 2001–02. Although he submitted a transfer request during the 2000–01 campaign after losing his position in the starting line-up, it was denied, and Given went on to regain his place.


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