More Shootout Misery for United's Given
By Matthew Jones
July 29 2003
Newcastle United's Number One goalkeeper, Shay Given is feeling just like he felt this time last year, when Ireland crashed out of the World Cup finals in a shootout against Spain.
Goalkeeper Shay Given has revealed that he is disappointed on his return to Newcastle about the fact that he has suffered another piece of penalty shoot-out misery in the Far East.
Last year, in South Korea, Shay Given was put under pressure when the Republic of Ireland faced Spain in a shootout to decide the future of Ireland's World Cup campaign. Ireland lost, and Given was gutted.
It was a similar situation in the Asia Cup fianl, and despite saving Damien Duff and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's penalties, Shay could not prevent Chelsea from winning the FA Premier League Asia Cup final on penalties - Although he could always blame Jermaine Jenas.
Given said: "When I was in the Far East last year, I was in a team which lost a penalty shoot-out and now the same has happened again 12 months later.
"Spain, of course, beat the Republic of Ireland in South Korea last year in the World Cup on penalties, so I suppose you could say I have no luck with this sort of thing.
"But at least this time I had the consolation of saving a couple of the penalties from Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and my Republic of Ireland international colleague Damien Duff.
"I know Damien very well, of course, and when he came up to take his penalty I laughed and said 'I know where you are going to put it'.
"He kept his head down and wouldn't look at me and I guessed right. But Damien's a good lad and a tremendous player and I'm sure he will be a revelation at Chelsea.
"People think that goalkeepers stand around for a lot of the time in a game, but I still lost five kilos out there and I certainly wouldn't want to play a full season in those conditions.
"In fact I had to change my gloves four times in the match because they were drenched in sweat."