1. Seamus John James Given was born on 20 April 1976 and is an Irish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
70 Facts About Shay Given
1. 2.
Shay Given began his career at Celtic; however, he never made a first-team appearance.
3.
Shay Given joined Stoke City in July 2015, remaining with the club for two seasons.
4.
Shay 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.
5.
Shay Given 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.
6.
Shay Given played at UEFA Euro 2012 and was selected in Martin O'Neill's 23-man squad for UEFA Euro 2016, but did not appear in any of Ireland's four matches at the tournament.
7.
Shay Given is the second-highest capped Republic of Ireland player.
8.
Shay Given announced his international retirement in July 2016, having amassed 134 caps for his country and kept 52 clean sheets.
9.
Shay Given was propelled into the limelight when he played in an FAI Junior Cup semi-final for Lifford Celtic.
10.
Shay Given revealed that Celtic offered him a one-year contract to stay at the club before moving to Blackburn Rovers.
11.
Shay Given played in five games for Swindon before returning to Blackburn at the end of 1995.
12.
Shay Given suffered an arm injury shortly after returning to Blackburn, but it turned out that the injury was "not as bad as first feared".
13.
Shay Given was sent on loan again in January 1996, this time to First Division side Sunderland.
14.
Shay Given kept 12 clean sheets during his 17 games for the club, and formed part of the team who won promotion to the Premier League as champions.
15.
However, Shay Given continued to be Blackburn's second-choice goalkeeper behind Flowers.
16.
Shay Given was one of the first signings of then-newly appointed manager Dalglish.
17.
In November 1997, Shay Given conceded a strange goal against Coventry City when, after collecting a cross, he rolled the ball out in preparation to make a long clearance.
18.
The coincidence of the goalscorer's name quickly led to the popular joke among football fans that Shay Given "is the only Irishman who doesn't know where Dublin is" and the goal itself is still regularly featured on lists compiled of bizarre goals.
19.
Shay Given submitted a written transfer request in December 2000 after failing to regain his place in the first team from Harper after a thigh injury had ruled him out of a match against Leeds United.
20.
Shay Given was selected in the PFA Team of the Year and Newcastle's league position meant that they would enter the qualifying stages of the UEFA Champions League the following season.
21.
The next season, Shay Given again found himself competing with Harper.
22.
Shay Given played in the first three group matches, all of which Newcastle lost.
23.
Shay Given played in every one of the club's league matches for a third successive season, as well as all thirteen European games.
24.
Shay Given overtook Alan Shearer as having played in the most European matches for the club on 16 September 2004 in a game against Bnei Sakhnin, and Shay Given's twelve European and three FA Cup appearances helped Newcastle reach the UEFA Cup quarter-final and the FA Cup semi-final.
25.
Shay Given missed two Premier League games as the club finished in 14th place.
26.
Shay Given played in all of the club's league matches as they finished in seventh position and he signed a new five-year contract with the club in the summer.
27.
Shay Given played in all of the club's FA Cup games as they reached the quarter-finals, and captained the team for three games during Shearer's absence.
28.
On 17 September 2006, Shay Given suffered a one-centimetre tear in his bowel after a tackle by West Ham United striker Marlon Harewood.
29.
Shay Given was 34 games away from breaking Newcastle's appearance record held by Jimmy Lawrence.
30.
Shay Given was formally introduced as a Manchester City player on 5 February 2009, and was assigned squad number 37.
31.
Shay Given made his 400th league appearance on 5 October 2009 against Aston Villa.
32.
On 14 August 2010, Shay Given was dropped from the Manchester City starting eleven for their opening league game against Tottenham Hotspur and replaced by Hart, who became City's permanent first choice goalkeeper.
33.
Shay Given signed a five-year deal, meaning that he would be 40 when his contract expired.
34.
In September 2011, Shay Given was reunited with Terry Gennoe at Aston Villa.
35.
Shay Given had previously coached Given at Blackburn and Newcastle.
36.
On 15 April 2014, Shay Given was appointed temporary assistant to Paul Lambert after the club suspended Ian Culverhouse and Gary Karsa, pending an internal investigation for an undisclosed reason.
37.
Shay Given joined Middlesbrough on a one-month loan deal on 28 November 2013 as cover for the injured Jason Steele.
38.
Whilst at Middlesbrough, Shay Given kept ten clean sheets in 16 league games.
39.
Shay Given signed a two-year contract with Stoke City on 10 July 2015.
40.
Shay Given joined as backup to first choice goalkeeper Jack Butland.
41.
Shay Given returned towards the end of the campaign and due to injury to Butland, he shared goalkeeping duties with Jakob Haugaard.
42.
Shay Given had palmed a Leighton Baines penalty onto the post but the ball rebounded against his head and went over the line.
43.
On 21 April 2018, the day after his 42nd birthday, Shay Given announced his retirement from professional football whilst receiving an award for Donegal Person of the Year in Dublin.
44.
Shay Given represented the Republic of Ireland at youth level before earning five caps for the Republic of Ireland national under-21 team.
45.
Shay Given made his debut for the national team on 27 March 1996, in a game against Russia.
46.
Shay Given played in all of his nation's games at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
47.
Shay Given was part of the team for most of the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign; however a draw with Switzerland meant Ireland failed to qualify for the finals of the competition in Germany.
48.
Shay Given equalled Packie Bonner's record of 80 caps against Slovakia on 28 March 2007.
49.
Shay Given obtained his 100th cap against Montenegro at Croke Park, Dublin on 14 October 2009 in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying game.
50.
Shay Given was part of the team that secured qualification for UEFA Euro 2012 with a play-off victory against Estonia.
51.
Shay Given played in the Euro 2012 championship as Ireland were eliminated in the group stage.
52.
On 13 August 2012, Shay Given announced on Twitter his decision to retire from international football, describing it as an "unforgettable experience" to play for his country.
53.
Shay Given retired holding the record for the most capped Irishman, though Robbie Keane was closing in on the record.
54.
On 14 January 2013, it was announced that Shay Given was available for international selection.
55.
Shay Given was one of four goalkeepers in the squad.
56.
On 29 March 2015, Shay Given regained his place in the starting line-up for the crucial Euro 2016 qualifier against Poland.
57.
Shay Given eclipsed Johnny Giles' record of 19 years and 202 days and became the first Irishman to play for his country for 20 years or more.
58.
Shay Given was selected in the 23-man Ireland squad for Euro 2016 but did not feature in any match at the tournament.
59.
On 28 July 2016, Shay Given announced his retirement from international football for the second and final time.
60.
Shay Given gave all his international playing fees to charity.
61.
In June 2018, Shay Given was appointed goalkeeping coach at Derby County under new manager Frank Lampard.
62.
Shay Given retained his position when Phillip Cocu was appointed manager in July 2019.
63.
In November 2020, Shay Given was part of an interim coaching quartet alongside Wayne Rooney, Liam Rosenior and Justin Walker after Cocu was sacked earlier that month.
64.
On 15 January 2021, Rooney was appointed as the club's permanent manager and Shay Given moved to the position of first-team coach.
65.
Shay Given left his role at Derby at the end of the season because the club's financial problems meant they could not afford to renew it.
66.
Shay Given has been in a relationship with Rebecca Gibson since 2013, and the couple have two daughters.
67.
In 2006, Shay Given was awarded the Freedom of County Donegal in a ceremony in his home town, Lifford.
68.
Shay Given has helped to organise several fundraising events in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.
69.
Shay Given's mother died of cancer when he was four, so he has continually tried to raise money as it is an issue close to him.
70.
On 27 November 2011, Shay Given was brought to tears during a minute's applause for former teammate and personal friend Gary Speed, following Speed's death earlier that day, before Aston Villa met Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium.