HE HAS spent all his considerable time on Tyneside fighting the
talented and patient Steve Harper for the coveted first team jersey.
However, Shay Given believes United are so well-off for keepers
that his long-term challenge goes much deeper than a single
head-to-head.
"It's not just about me and Harps, but Tim Krul, Fraser
Forster and the young lad from Sweden, Olof Soderberg, as well," he
told me. "There's real strength in depth at the club.
"Tim and Fraser have both been with the first team while Olof
picked up the goalkeeper of the tournament award in preseason in Holland
with our academy after conceding just one goal in five matches.
"We all work together with goalkeeping coach Paul Barron, who
has a wealth of experience. Paul is good for us, a great help.
"It's a real family clique. We keep each other on our
toes, but at the same time we're always ready to help any of our
little team."
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