Shay Given retires from international football

[Evil Genius]

Best keeper Ireland ever had.

Wonderful keeper, no doubt, but I'd have him 4th in my list.

I'm intrigued.  I'd have Jennings, Bonner and Given in my top 4.  Can't think of a 4th.  What's your list?

Top 3 (in no particular order):
Jennings - Self-evident;

Gregg - Bought by Busby for a world-record fee for a keeper, voted "Goalkeeper of the Tournament" in the 1958 World Cup; hero of Munich: http://nifootball.blogspot.co.uk/2006/12/harry-gregg.html

E. Scott - Liverpool's greatest-ever keeper. Indeed when Jennings emerged, many old-timers in the NI support said "He's good, but he has a way to go before he compares to Scott": http://nifootball.blogspot.co.uk/2006/10/elisha-scott.html

P.S. With 250 games for Everton etc, Elisha's older brother Billy must have a pretty decent keeper, too: http://nifootball.blogspot.co.uk/2007/09/billy-scott.html

[Sportacus]

Alan McKnight anyone?   

[imtommygunn]

Given was very underrated.

Newcastle would have been relegated in several seasons without him. Extremely consistent. Great keeper and has done wonders for Ireland too. The rest of them boys were before my time really.

Packie will always be a legend for the Romania game alone. We'll forget about the dutch game in 94 mind you...

[red hander]

125 caps and apart from the last 6 months or so a model of consistency.Best keeper Ireland ever had.

Performance that stands out was a 1-0 win for Ireland in Cyprus about 2004/2005.

Was at that game in Nicosia ... Cyprus were the better team on the night and Shay basically beat them himself, saving a penalty in the process and making a load more saves. The guy is a legend

[The Worker]

Seen him play for Newcastle a few years ago when Liverpool put 5 past him......and he still got man of the match!

Would be in the top 3 keepers of the premiership era.

[Two Hands FFS]

Seen him play for Newcastle a few years ago when Liverpool put 5 past him......and he still got man of the match!

Would be in the top 3 keepers of the premiership era.

He was amazing that match.
Brilliant Keeper for Ireland that a bad euros shouldnt cover up. Legend

[stew]

Best keeper Ireland ever had.

Wonderful keeper, no doubt, but I'd have him 4th in my list.

I'm intrigued.  I'd have Jennings, Bonner and Given in my top 4.  Can't think of a 4th.  What's your list?

Top 3 (in no particular order):
Jennings - Self-evident;

Gregg - Bought by Busby for a world-record fee for a keeper, voted "Goalkeeper of the Tournament" in the 1958 World Cup; hero of Munich: http://nifootball.blogspot.co.uk/2006/12/harry-gregg.html

E. Scott - Liverpool's greatest-ever keeper. Indeed when Jennings emerged, many old-timers in the NI support said "He's good, but he has a way to go before he compares to Scott": http://nifootball.blogspot.co.uk/2006/10/elisha-scott.html

P.S. With 250 games for Everton etc, Elisha's older brother Billy must have a pretty decent keeper, too: http://nifootball.blogspot.co.uk/2007/09/billy-scott.html

Jennings was far better, Scott was a wee bit better, Given is easily in the third medal position!

[rrhf]

I'd be happy with that top 3. Always feel modern soccer is overrated.

[ONeill]

If Wenger had made a move for him 4-5 years ago, I'm convinced he'd have a couple more league titles to his name. That balax Alumina (now clubless) cost him double figure points a season.

[imtommygunn]

I never understood why Wenger didn't buy him. I thought the same - at least 2 more league titles for arsenal had they have bought him.

[Evil Genius]

Seen him play for Newcastle a few years ago when Liverpool put 5 past him......and he still got man of the match!

Would be in the top 3 keepers of the premiership era.

I greatly admire Given (and dearly wish he'd been born a few miles to the East!), but I can't agree he makes the Top 3 EPL keepers, ahead of Schmeichel, Seaman, Van Der Saar and Cech, all of whom I believe to have been at just that higher level.

Beyond that, you might argue he is 'Best of the Rest', though fans of eg Reina, James, Schwarzer, Friedel, Martyn and Flowers etc may disagree.

P.S. I personally would also argue the case of another (unheralded) keeper, Bolton's Jaskalainen (sp?), on the basis of having seen him live on 4 or 5 occasions. He was never less than excellent, and on one occasion where he conceded 5(!), he produced one of the greatest goalkeeping displays I've seen in 40 years. It is no exagerration to say that without him in nets that day, Bolton would easily have conceded double figures.

[armaghniac]

I greatly admire Given (and dearly wish he'd been born a few miles to the East!),

He'd need to have been born quite a few miles to the East if he were to choose to play for a different team.

[Main Street]

I hope we don't end up missing him.
I had thought for a long while that goalkeeping progenitor Alan Kelly snr was the best of the FAI's goalkeepers, he had that 'Jennings-like' ability  but Shay has probably just edged past him. Apart from his goalkeeping ability, what impressed me about Given was his professional attitude from the moment he came on the pitch for the warm up, while other players just appeared to go through the motions of warming up, he was an object of intensity and meticulous preparation. He wasn't amongst the goalkeeping greats because he had some weaknesses in his repertoire of goalkeeping skills.

BTW, Given was born in Derry, wasn't he?

[oisinog]

I hope we don't end up missing him.
I had thought for a long while that goalkeeping progenitor Alan Kelly snr was the best of the FAI's goalkeepers, he had that 'Jennings-like' ability  but Shay has probably just edged past him. Apart from his goalkeeping ability, what impressed me about Given was his professional attitude from the moment he came on the pitch for the warm up, while other players just appeared to go through the motions of warming up, he was an object of intensity and meticulous preparation. He wasn't amongst the goalkeeping greats because he had some weaknesses in his repertoire of goalkeeping skills.

BTW, Given was born in Derry, wasn't he?

I always though he was born in Donegal Town

He will be a big miss to the set up. He has done some coaching badges I wonder if he would be a good coach in the future

[Christmas Lights]

A shocking Euro's in the summer, at fault for a number of the goals but still a legend in Ireland

RIP Shay Given's international career.  We will always have the memories.

Great servant.