Shay Given was a dedicated servant for Newcastle United before leaving to join Man City, and heās not happy with how that move went down.
He may have started his career in England with Blackburn Rovers, but Shay Given well and truly established himself and made a home at Newcastle United.
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The Irishman joined the Magpies in 1997 and stayed for 12 years, becoming a Newcastle United legend along the way.
Heās one of Newcastleās top appearance makers in the Premier League, but his departure in 2009 left a sour taste in the mouths of many Magpies fans.
Shay Given explains his Newcastle United exit
In an appearance on The Good, The Bad & The Football, the former Newcastle man was asked about how that switch in 2009 came about and why it was the right move for him at that time.
He said: āIt was amazing for me. Newcastle were really struggling at the time. It wasnāt the Newcastle that I joined. I left because it was a relegation fight every year. The previous owner just wanted to keep the club afloat, there was no ambition.
āMan City came in and it was like the biggest club that everyone was talking about around the world. They could have picked any goalkeeper but they wanted me. So I was like, āThis is incredibleā.
āI remember I was in a hotel in Manchester waiting for the green light off Newcastle. Iād done the medical. I was waiting for the fax machine. It was on deadline day, there wasnāt a lot of time to spare.ā
Given was then quizzed as to why the Ā£7m deal took so long to complete, and he explained how former Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley caused a few issues during the negotiation process.
He added: āWhen I left Newcastle, I had a 10% sell-on fee. So 10% of Ā£7m is a hefty fee. Mike Ashley at the time, he said to me, āUnless you sign the transfer request and give up the 10% youāre not going anywhereā. I didnāt sign it but on deadline day I was backed into a corner.
āI wanted the move to go through so I signed it, and lost the 10%. But on top of that, obviously the local press were like, āHe was asking for a transfer request, there was nothing we could do to keep himā.
āAfter 12 years at the club for it to finish that way was frustrating and I was angry. People will say it was my choice to leave but it could have been dealt with better.ā
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Newcastle need a consistent number one goalkeeper now
Thankfully, Newcastle fans have forgiven Shay Given for leaving. But, the club does have a goalkeeper issue right now that needs resolving.
Aaron Ramsdaleās performance at the weekend leaves Eddie Howe with a big decision to make on the goalkeeper situation.
Nick Pope came in for a lot of criticism after his disastrous display against Marseille, and injury kept him out of the Everton game.
Should Newcastle fans be adopting this energy for Nick Pope?
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When heās fit again, weāll see who Howe backs as his number one. But, regardless of the short-term decisions, Newcastle simply have to find a proper, established first-choice goalkeeper they can rely on.
Neither Pope nor Ramsdale are at that level, sadly. It may not be in January, but come next summer, a new goalkeeper needs to be signed who can provide longevity and composure, just like Shay Given did.
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