After 16 years and 125 caps Shay Given has announced his retirement from international soccer.
Given (36) made the revelation via Twitter, saying: “After a lot of thought and consideration, I have made the most difficult decision to retire from international football.”
The Donegal man, now with Aston Villa, made his debut against Russia in 1996 but was off-form between the posts during Euro 2012.
Given said: “I shall remain a huge fan of the team as I have been all my life and I wish them every success for the future.”
He has been making defenders look good for almost two decades in the Premier League in front of leaky defences at Newcastle, Sunderland and Blackburn, before Manchester City and at present Villa.
Ireland play Serbia in Belgrade on Wednesday. With a host of big names out, anybody got a spare bus?
This fan-made video is a nice reminder of why Given is rated as one of the Premier League era’s greatest No1s.
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[...] – Shay Given has retired from international football. The 36 year old was criticised for his performances at Euro 2012, but having made no announcement in the aftermath of the tournament, it was assumed he had decided to continue beyond his current tally of 125 caps. In retrospect, the injury Given carried into the tournament may have been more debilitating than was first acknowledged, but for a player of his standards, he certainly looked below par. That can’t take away from the fact he is one of the greatest players Ireland has ever produced. [...]