Even though the final days of his career at Newcastle were marked by unhappiness and a motivation to leave the club at all costs, Shay Given was a truly wonderful servant for Newcastle. Without his heroics, the Magpies wouldn't have overachieved for as long as they did - surviving four terrible managers in Ruud Gullit, Glenn Roeder, Graeme Souness and Sam Allardyce without dropping out of the league. The fact that Kenny Dalglish managed to pick him up from under the noses of Sunderland, who had taken him on loan sweetened the deal even more, but few could have predicted how successful the bargain signing would end up being. Success was the issue in the end, but his service to the club was hugely valuable.
