Newcastle refuse Given request - January 10, 2001
Shay Given has been stupidly told by Newcastle to knuckle down and fight for his place, after the club refused his transfer request.
How can he fight for his team place when the only way he can get back in is if his friend Steve Harper suffers an injury? Showing form on the training ground doesn't make a difference at Newcastle and that is why Given put in the written transfer request in the first place!
Newcastle have shown interest in Bradford goalkeeper Matt Clarke and if they decided to move for the player it could free Shay up for a transfer.
Shay lost his international place to Alan Kelly because of the stupid goalkeeping scenario at Newcastle United and he feels that this just cannot continue.
Given, at 24, has time enough ahead of him to earn many caps with Ireland but he would rather be involved now because the international team are on the verge of something great.
If he had kept his place in the Newcastle side he would most certainly have taken the No.1 shirt back from Alan Kelly, as the Blackburn player has slipped down to No. 3 choice at his club.
With both of Ireland's best goalkeepers sitting on the sideline, the door is open for Charlton's Dean Kiely to leapfrog them and win his starting place in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.