Given keen to keep playing

Former Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given has insisted that he hasn’t retired from playing professional football, according to Talksport.

The shot-stopper, who turned forty-one in April has been without a club since being released by Stoke City in the summer but is keen to keep playing, even if that means dropping a division to the Championship.

Since turning professional in 1994, he has racked up seven hundred and seventy games for club and country, the majority of which coming during a twelve year spell with Newcastle United.

He started his career at Blackburn Rovers and had loan stints with Swindon Town and Sunderland before switching to Newcastle while following his time in the north-east he played for Manchester City, where he won the FA Cup, and Aston Villa.

He played for his country for twenty years and won a total of one hundred and thirty-four caps, a record only bettered by striker Robbie Keane.