SOCCER may never have known one of their great exponents.
Shay Given only turned his affections from Gaelic Football to
Association Football because there wasn't a living to be had at
that peculiarly Irish sport.
Even so, he wanted to play outfield and be the scorer of
spectacular goals, only becoming a keeper because his dad insisted that
strikers were "ten-a-penny" while goalies were special.
Fair enough, but how on earth can a youngster turn down Man United?
And tell Celtic to jump their hoops?
Easily, it would appear.
"I was playing for Lifford Celtic and we reached the last four
of the FAI Junior Cup in 1992," he said.
"Scouts were taking a lot of notice and I actually went over
to Old Trafford for two weeks.
"Alex Ferguson was really good with me. I could have signed
but my dad suggested I might have a better chance of breaking through at
Celtic."
As I explained yesterday, after Irish legend Liam Brady quit as
Celtic boss and his successor Lou Macari offered poor terms, Given was
up and off to work on his dad's pitch and putt course.
When two people in the same household are called Seamus John Given
what do you do? Simple, call the younger one Shay.
"My dad was Big Seamus and me Wee Seamus which wasn't
going to work later on in life, so my name became shortened to
Shay," explained United's ace keeper.
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