Premier League: 5 Best Substitute Keepers This Season

2. Shay Given

Shay Given. Football League First Division winner (1995/6), 1998 and 1999 FA cup runner up, 2006 Intertoto cup winner, twice Premiership team of the seasons goalkeeper (2001/2 2005/6), champions league and UEFA cup experience, FA cup winners medal, FAI International player of the year 2005 and 2006, Nations cup winner (2011) and Republic of Ireland All-time Most capped player with 125 matches played, 55 of which were clean sheets. Any other reason needed? Given began his career in the Celtic youth set up yet failed to make an appearance for the main team and he gained little playing time at Blackburn, Swindon and Sunderland (the latter two where he was on loan). It wasn't until the young keeper joined Newcastle, after they were impressed by his twelve clean sheets in seventeen games on loan at Sunderland. Given ousted the established likes of Pavel Smicek, Shaka Hislop and Steve Harper to immediately become Newcastle's number one; during the 2001/2 season he played every game for Newcastle as they came a surprise fourth in the league. Given joined Manchester City after Newcastle began struggling in form and persistently came low in the league. His career as City's number one was successful but came to an end when Roberto Mancini pushed Joe Hart into the first team. At the end of the 2010/11 season he joined Aston Villa. After a difficult start to the 2012/13 season he was subsequently replaced as the first team keeper by Brad Guzan. Although Given retired from international duty after Ireland were eliminated from the 2012 European Championships but after failing to gain regular football at club level he has placed himself back into the fold in the last week. He is a keeper with abundant ability and potential to still lead a Premiership team during a successful league campaign. He surely should not be playing bench warmer on a team battling relegation.