Shay Given would relish chance to join Celtic

Would love him here, a hero of mine.

Shay Given has said he would relish the opportunity to move to Celtic, insisting a move to the Scottish Premier League from Manchester City would not represent a step down.

Given has frequently been linked with a return to the club and speculation over his future has again reared its head, with Neil Lennon in the market for a new goalkeeper following the departure of loanee Fraser Forster.

Speaking to STV in Dublin, following the Republic of Ireland’s 5-0 win over Northern Ireland in the Carling Nations Cup, Given says he doesn’t know what the future holds but says a move to Celtic would always remain a possibility.

“It’s too soon what’s going to happen,” he said. “There’s a lot of things to happen before that. But you never say never when Celtic come calling.

“It’s no secret that I am a big Celtic supporter and I have been all my life. But I don’t know what the goalkeeping situation is there. I know Fraser Forster had a good season up there and there’s talk of him moving up there on a permanent basis.

“So if he goes or if someone else goes, we will have to wait and see. If I go, we’ll have to wait and see. But it is a fantastic club with great supporters.”

Given, 35, was originally first choice at Eastlands but lost his place to Joe Hart and spent the majority of the 2010/11 season on the sidelines, featuring on just four occasions

His international appearances outstripped his club outings in the last campaign, playing seven times for the Republic of Ireland to take his number of caps to 110.

“Ideally I would like to be playing, obviously,” Given said of his lack of playing time. “But it is out of my hands.

“Manchester City own me and I’ve got two years left on my contract, so I don’t know what’s going to happen.

“At the minute I am focused on Scotland on Sunday and then the big game against Macedonia. After that we will see what comes up, if there are options to play somewhere.

“If not, I will go back to Man City in pre-season and get my head down and go again.”

When asked if he felt it would be a step down to quit the English top flight for Scotland, Given replied: “Not if you are playing for Celtic it’s not. It’s a great club with unbelievable history. I wouldn’t look at it as a step down.

Lennon, who looks unlikely to land Forster on a second loan spell after Newcastle United boss Alan Pardew criticised the standard of the SPL, admitted an interest in signing Given at the weekend but conceded it would take a big commitment from the Celtic board ot land him.

“To get Shay Given would cost a lot of money,” he said. “He is a top, top goalkeeper.”

Given started his career at Celtic, coming through the youth ranks at the club before being released in favour of keeping Stewart Kerr in 1994. He went on to sign for Blackburn Rovers, before establishing himself as one of the top goalkeepers in England when he moved to Newcastle United in 1997.

A 12-year spell with the Magpies followed, in which time he made 461 appearances, before switching to Manchester City in 2009.

http://sport.stv.tv/football/scotti...given-would-relish-chance-to-play-for-celtic/

 

An amazing keeper no doubt, his age and recent injury record worries me.

 

No chance , i dont want him . He's coming out with this ststement because hes at the end of his days playing football. Id go for someone else or even take boruc back

 

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzahFCzqiiw[/YOUTUBE]

 

oh *, shay given inbetween the sticks would be incredible, nut we have have to think realistically, he a world class keeper with 2 years left at the richest club in the world, there right a big commitment from the board is needed to land him

 

get him signed up

 

Bring back Boruc.

 

Great keeper and I'd obviously be delighted if we signed him. Too expensive for our miserable board though I reckon

 

Shay Given has been linked with us many times not just this year but last year too.

His age does not bother me as a Goalkeeper gets better with age, just look at Buffon, Dino Zoff or Van der Sar. Although I am a bit skeptical about him coming back since he is not good enough for the Man City squad then again if he was as good as some of the fans say wouldn't Sir Alex Ferguson be already in with a bid.....?

Saying that, I would mind taking a gamble on Shay Given cause he has proven in his time at Newcastle what he can do and Goal Keepers only get better with age.

A seaon long loan with an option to buy for £800k cash up front at the end of the loan. Wouldn't want to tie him down into a contract and then turns out to be injury prone and blah blah blah.

 

I'd take him if we didn't get foster

 

Don't think we'd pay the wages required.

 

Would only take him if he takes a huge wage cut and City let him come for free.

 

That's a good point I didn't even think of his wages, how much is he on anyway...?

 

No such thing as a free lunch bruv, though £800k cash up front is fair after he speands a seaon on Loan, gotta try out the goods first of all Ha-Ha. Afterall he is 3rd in the pecking order at Man City, I think.

 

His age does not bother me it's his injuries that bother me we can not afford to take the gamble with the fee and wages it would take to sign him for him to be sat on the side lines .

 

he is second choice at city but is easily one of the best keepers in the premiership only behind van der sar and joe hart. a bid of 5 million or more would get him

 

In that case I would say.........Shay nice knowing you matey, :bbpd:

 

A lot of people are overreacting saying he is injury prone.

He broke his shoulder last season it was a freak injury, he's hardly Shaun Maloney.

You don't make over 400 club appearances and get over 100 caps if your injury prone.

 

if we get forster we would be paying 2 to 4 million for him so a would rather take given at 5 million if we could get him for that

 

some ppl on here are deluded, if shay came here he would be a legend, 5 years left at the top, one of the premierships greatest ever keepers. Im sure city would rather he came here than to one of their rivals. Let him leave for a nominal fee, cut our deadwood and offer him 30k a week, chance to play in europe and win medals.