10 Players Who Successfully Played For Newcastle & Sunderland

3. Shay Given

NUFC: 1997 - 2009 (462 games) SAFC: 1996 (17 games) After truggling to displace Tim Flower's as first-choice goalkeeper at Blackburn, Given was handed the opportunity to cut his teeth at Sunderland by Peter Reid at the tail end of the 1995/96 season and moved to Roker Park on a short-term loan deal. The 20-year-old Irishman was a revelation on Wearside as he kept 12 clean sheets in his 17 appearances for the Black Cats as they sealed promotion to the Premier League for the first time. Unfortunately for Reid he was unable to obtain Given permanently and a year later he joined Newcastle for a measly £1.5 million as one the first signings made by new Toon boss Kenny Dalglish, who'd originally brought him to Ewood Park when in charge at Blackburn. Arguably his one tangible and long-lasting contribution during an awful year in charge.

By the time he departed St James' Park in January 2009 Given was firmly established as our greatest shot-stopper of the modern era. During that time he played in an FA Cup Final and starred in the Champions League during the 2002/03 campaign and was a mainstay during the Sir Bobby Robson years as we enjoyed an unlikely renaissance at the apeand challenged for the top-flight crown. Such was his unerring consistency, Given was an ever-present in the Premier League for three seasons until November 2004 when he missed the 4-1 home defeat to Fulham ending an unbroken 125 game streak.