Given: Newcastle could have done more to keep me
Shay Given became unhappy at Newcastle
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Thursday, 05, Feb 2009 09:14
Former Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given has hit out at his former employers for the way they treated him over his move to Manchester City.
Given spent 12 years at Newcastle, but became disillusioned over the last six months due to the continuous shenanigans that were going on off the field regarding the ownership of the club and the team's poor performances on the pitch.
The 32-year-old admitted the 5-1 home defeat against Liverpool was one of the lowest points in his career and made him question his future at Newcastle, but Given still insisted the club could have done more to keep him.
"There are a couple of things they could have done to keep me, but I think in the end they just wanted to take the money," said Given. "I just felt that after the service I gave the club, the regime at Newcastle could have handled the whole thing a bit better.
"In the last six months it has been fizzling out. It has not been enjoyable going into training. Maybe it's myself just being selfish, but I think I deserved a little bit better than that."
The Republic of Ireland keeper added: "The Liverpool match was a low point in my career. It was one of those points where if I had left the pitch and never seen a football again I would have been happy, I was that low."
Given signed for Newcastle from Blackburn Rovers for a fee of £1.5 million. He went on to make 354 appearances for the club and helped them to third in the Premier League in 2002-2003 season.