SHAY GIVEN: SILVA BETTER THAN HAZARD AND COUTINHO
Man City could have a Hazard or a Coutinho, but Given believes...
SHAY GIVEN was picking up tickets at reception for Manchester City’s clash against United in April when he was unexpectedly grabbed by someone behind him.
‘I turned around and it was the chairman Khaldoon (al Mubarak),’ he smiles. ‘He’s a busy man and had all these people around him for derby day but he chatted to me and my son for about 10 minutes, saying he’d love to have me involved back at the club. I think he was dead genuine.’
Given’s career is strongly associated with Newcastle and the Republic of Ireland but City is his local Premier League team now. Even though he played only 69 times for them between 2009 and 2011, a strong bond remains. He still lives in the area with his family and goes to games with his 12-year-old boy who is a City fan.
Last month, he did his first bit of ambassadorial work, representing the club at a Premier League event in Bangalore, India and meeting some of their growing international fanbase.
Plenty has changed at The Etihad since Given left to join Aston Villa, but some key figures remain from his time, including club captain Vincent Kompany and long-serving midfielder Yaya Toure.
Most notably, 31-year-old David Silva is still the first name on Pep Guardiola’s team-sheet for big games like today’s fixture against Arsenal. Seven years ago, the Spaniard joined City and quickly became hooked on apple crumble and custard, one of the less serious stories detailed in Given’s new autobiography Shay: Any Given Sunday.
‘People build up Eden Hazard, Philippe Coutinho and other great players but for me David is as good if not better than them,’ says Given. ‘I don’t know why he’s not talked up, maybe because he’s not plastered over the magazines or spends his time promoting computer games. He’s a bit like Paul Scholes was in that respect.
‘City have spent hundreds of millions of pounds and quite possibly could have signed the likes of Hazard or Mesut Ozil but, no, they’ve got their own superstar. Speak to any Premier League manager and they’d love to have David Silva in their team, I’m sure.
‘People say he’s been rejuvenated under Pep but to be honest I don’t think he ever dipped. He’d still do a great job for Barcelona or Paris Saint-Germain if they signed him.’ As someone who regularly faced the Spanish World Cup winner in training and had a great view of him tormenting the opposition in matches, Given’s insight into what makes Silva special is fascinating. ‘You can’t coach the stuff he does on a football pitch. It’s phenomenal,’ says Given. ‘He finds space where defenders don’t know where to go, midfielders don’t know where to pick him up. His passing is a natural gift, he can be facing one way, and a blue shirt is making a run in the polar opposite direction. And he’ll see it, the only player on the pitch who can see it. ‘Before he receives a pass, he already knows where he’d like to play the next one. He’s so good, even when he’s working hard, it looks effortless, because he’s got this soft touch. Kenny Dalglish had it, this football brain. That’s what David has.
‘Even the apple crumble story helps explain who David is. He wanted to try it because it was new, ended up liking it, and digging in. You never hear any doom and gloom stories from him about living in Manchester. Mind you, Pep has probably taken apple crumble off the menu now!’
Given, now 41, played with some great individuals and teams in a glittering career that lasted until the summer when he was released by Stoke City.
Roy Keane was his international captain and he also has a soft spot for Damien Duff. ‘They used to have the man of the match announcement on repeat in Dublin because it was always him,’ he quips.
Patrick Vieira was also a huge influence even though their paths crossed only briefly at City. When the club won the FA Cup in 2011, manager Roberto Mancini left the team talk to his legendary midfielder, now manager of City’s sister club in New York after Arsene Wenger failed to offer him a coaching role at his long-time love, Arsenal.
‘I do see him being a manager one day, if Pep steps away in a few years, he would be the perfect replacement. He is such a huge character,’ says Given.
‘I’m sure Patrick has seen what his team-mate Zidane has done at Real Madrid, won two Champions Leagues in a row. If not City, he’ll manage a big club in the Premier League or the Champions League. I could tell from his team talks as a player that this guy was going places.’
Of more immediate significance is this afternoon’s game when City attempt to stretch their unbeaten run this season.
From a goalkeeper’s standpoint, Given is impressed so far with new No1 Ederson, who has steadied the ship after Claudio Bravo proved to be an unsatisfactory replacement for Joe Hart last season. ‘He brought a composure and speed of the line. And obviously he’s comfortable with his feet, short and long passes,’ assesses Given.
One suspects Given would love to be out there himself this afternoon, throwing himself at the feet of Alexis Sanchez or Ozil.
But his new life is busy too with media appearances, book promotion and coaching goalkeepers with National League Macclesfield twice a week.
‘It’s nice to get involved at that level, where lads are playing for a few hundred pounds but love the game as much as anyone else,’ he says. ‘The physio has half a roll of tape for the whole squad and there’s literally no strapping for the ankles. At Man City, they’d have more tapes than you’d know what to do with. But Macclesfield is a great club. It’s great to see them doing really well this season – not because of me I should point out!’
Shay: Any Given Saturday – The Autobiography; Trinity Sport Media, hardbook and ebook on sale now