Former Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given told David Hennessy that the young crop of Republic of Ireland players, under their new manager, can create magic memories like those Jack Charlton made.
Only one other player (Robbie Keane) has more Republic of Ireland caps than Shay Given who earned 134. His 20 year international career included the World Cup in 2002 and the European Championships in 2012. Shay would also travel to the Euros in 2016 as back up to Darren Randolph.
At club level, he is remembered for his time minding the net for Newcastle United. He also had stints at Manchester City and Aston Villa.
We caught up with Shay back in September ahead of Republic of Ireland kicking off their Nations League campaign against England. Shay chatted abour the current and forthcoming campaigns as well as looking back to the World Cup 2002 which was the last time Ireland reached it.
Shay can see reasons for optimism in the group of young players Ireland have as well as the new manager who achieved great things with Iceland.
He gave us his thoughts on Caoimhín Kelleher remaining at Liverpool, Gavin Bazunu having competition from Aaron Ramsdale and told us that, after a stint of coaching at Derby, he doesn’t miss it.
We’re going into a new qualification cycle with the World Cup qualifiers coming up after the Nations League. It will be at least 24 years since Ireland got there, can we do it? Are you confident?
“Well, at the start of any tournament, we’re all optimistic that we can do it.
“It’s a new manager in place, of course.
“Obviously it took, I think, eight months for them to get the manager in place.
“With the managerial jobs that he’s had, he’s been relatively successful for the teams he’s managed so it gives us all hope that he can get this team across the line.
“The problem we’ve had, as you mentioned, is it is so many years since we qualified and you sort of keep tumbling down the rankings and every time it’s more difficult to qualify because you’re in a tougher group.
“It’s a bit of a vicious cycle we’re in at the minute because we keep tumbling away from one and two and three seeds.
“But I am optimistic.
“I genuinely do believe there’s a nucleus of a good team there.
“I think there’s some really good players, exciting young players and young players that have experience now over the last couple of years, and are ready to take on the challenge of qualifying.
“So it’s down to the new manager and the staff and the players to buy into his ideas and hopefully we can qualify.”
When you speak about a nucleus, I imagine Evan Ferguson is one you’re talking about but who excites you?
“I think we’ve got really talented goalkeepers.
“I know Gavin’s out at the minute but Caoimhín’s obviously a brilliant goalkeeper, Travers at Bournemouth as well.
“We’re very strong in that department.
“You go through the team with Collins and O’Shea at the back, there’s lots of experience and Premier League experience there now as well.
“I suppose midfield could be lacking a little bit, but I look at Ferguson and- I mentioned this before he scored at the weekend, but someone like Liam Delap.
“If I was Heimir Hallgrímsson, the new manager, I’d be exasperating every opportunity to get other players to challenge for positions. Imagine Delap and Ferguson up front. I think that would scare any defence.
“I don’t know if that’s even an opportunity or if Liam has decided he wants to play for England but look at the strikers that England have. He could be a mainstay in our team.
“I’m just thinking outside the box as well because obviously the best success Ireland ever had was under Jack Charlton.
“Jack didn’t leave a stone unturned for Irish heritage and I think we have to do the same, I really do and get as many players in.
“Szmodics has had a good move, of course. There is Ogbene’s move to Ipswich as well. I think the more players we have in Premier League and having that Premier League experience and playing against the best defenders, then we will get better as well.
“But I do think the new manager, with John O’Shea, will be looking at players like maybe Delap that we can maybe get on board.”
Speaking of goalkeepers and of course you being a goalkeeper yourself what is your take on Caoimhín Kelleher. He is likely to be between the sticks for Ireland on Saturday night but he’s long been an understudy at Liverpool. Does he need a move away even if it’s on loan?
“Every six months a transfer window comes and goes and then it’s like, ‘He stayed again’.
“I know Caoimhín. I’ve met him a couple of times. I don’t know him really well, I just know he’s a brilliant goalkeeper.
“But I don’t know what his mindset is: Is he relaxed in the situation or is he a raging bull inside?
“I don’t know.
“But what I do know is he’s a brilliant goalkeeper and the clock’s ticking.
“Another window’s gone by.
“He’s 26 in November so I’m not talking about a young ‘keeper. We’re talking about someone who’s in the prime of his life at 26 and it feels like it’s a bit of a shame that he hasn’t moved this window again.
“Last season he played 26 first team games for Liverpool so if he was going to move, I felt it would be on the back of a very good long spell in the team.
“It’s just frustrating because I believe he’s good enough to play in the Premier League.
“I’m not saying wasting his time there but he’s losing all this game time that he could be playing somewhere else.
“Liverpool’s a massive club, a great club but at the same time, I’ve been there. You’ve got one career.
“You’ve got one life at this. You have one go at it and again, he’s missed that opportunity (of a transfer). I don’t know the ins and outs of was he close to moving or not close to moving or whatever.
“But again, he has to sit tight again until January.
“It is frustrating, and I’m sure it’s frustrating for him as well.”
Then there is Gavin Bazunu who has had injury problems and now will have to contend with Aaron Ramsdale as competition. Would you be concerned for Gavin?
“Well, it’s frustrating for Gavin because he was a huge part of why they got promoted, I think: Brilliant performances last year in the championship.
“Then he got the bad injury with, I think, his Achilles.
“He’ll be thinking, ‘Oh my goodness, I’ve done all this amazing work to help the team get back up’.
“It’s probably no fault of Southampton. They’ve had to get someone in to ‘replace’ him because he’s not fit at the minute.
“I met Gavin a few times.
“I don’t know him overly well but I know that he’s a really level headed down to earth person.
“I know we all have setbacks.
“I had many injuries myself in my career and it’s how you come back from that.
“I know Gavin will be working his socks off in the gym and with the rehabilitation people to come back fitter and stronger.
“Sometimes it gives you an opportunity to work on something maybe that you couldn’t do in the championship because there’s a game every couple of days, you’re just recovering.
“It could be his strength or his power in his legs or whatever it might be.
“But he’s got a battle on his hands, hasn’t he?
“He’s got a big battle when he comes back because I think very highly of Ramsdale as well.
“I think he’s a brilliant goalkeeper so it will be interesting.
“Watch this space and see what happens next.
“It will be really good competition for the number one jersey.”
England are coming to Dublin this Saturday. You were analysing them in the Euros recently when they didn’t look themselves even though they reached final.
But what do you expect from them playing under Lee Carsley who, of course, is an ex-international team mate of yours?
“It’s mad the way the stars align, isn’t it?
“Lee’s been given the job and his first game is Ireland away. You literally couldn’t make it up like and if it was a film, people would say it was too obvious but that’s the way the stars have aligned.
“It’s a massive game for Lee.
“I know Lee well. He’s a brilliant guy, brilliant coach.
“I know we were linked heavily with him for the Ireland job as well but he’s going to be in the opposition dug out at the weekend for obviously one of our fiercest rivals playing England in Dublin.
“It’s going to be great. I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be a great game.
“What team will Lee have? I would imagine looking at his under 21 teams and the way his teams play, they’ll be more on the front foot.
“Gareth Southgate obviously did a great job as well but being a defender, it was always the cautious side, I would say.
“They were always cautious about the opposition. They were always worried too much, in my opinion, about the opposition because the wealth of talent that England have, especially in offensive areas is mind boggling really, the options they have and Lee has worked with a lot of these players as well.
“I would imagine that he’ll let them play with a bit more freedom.
“They’ll be coming to Dublin wanting to win the game, of course.
“And Lee will want to win his first game in charge.
“It’s going to be a tough game.
“But it’s Heimir Hallgrímsson’s first game in charge as well.
“We mentioned at the start it took way too long, there were four friendlies that the new manager could have been in place for and then gone into the England game looking at his players, looking at who’s done well, who’s not done so well.
“It’s not an ideal preparation for the new manager for Ireland because it’s his first game against such a strong nation in England.”
He has the help of John O’Shea, another of your former team mates.
Is it good to see that? And the young Irish coaches that we have in John, Robbie Keane, Damien Duff. Maybe there could a former Republic of Ireland manager in one of them..
“Yeah. I mean, Duffer’s doing brilliantly. Top of the league, of course, in the league of Ireland.
“Robbie had a brilliant season last year and won the league. You just hope he gets back in somewhere good because he’s got a taste for it now. He’ll be hungry to get another managerial job.
“He’s good at what he does so Robbie will be itching to get a job again.
“And Duffer, obviously, is a breath of fresh air to the League of Ireland.
“Some of the interviews are worth watching alone.
“John O’Shea obviously, he was part of the interim job, and I said at the time, I’m sure he’s sort of taken it on an interim basis knowing that the new manager will keep him on board.
“I think that’s a good fit as well.
“John is still at the early part of his managerial career and to work along with Heimir Hallgrímsson, the new manager, I think is a great experience for John as well.
“All these guys are Ireland through and through they’re desperate for the country to do well.
“We’ve all been there many a qualifying campaign and it would be exciting if in the future, one of these guys could be at the helm themselves.”
And what about yourself as well? You’ve done coaching with Derby. Are you looking to get back in the game as well?
“You know what? I’ve not missed it, and I’m being brutally honest.
“I’m doing the media stuff now. I was lucky enough to work with RTE, Premier Sports in Ireland, and BBC here in England. So I’ve been lucky in that sense and again, I’ve got more family time.
“I was away last week in Greece for a week with the family whereas if I was a coach, the last six weeks would be head down job.
“I had the experience and that sometimes helped me on TV as well because three years at Derby under three different managers, Lampard, Cocu and Rooney and three different experiences.
“You learn a lot when you’re a coach as well, analysing opposition, analysing individuals and I think it’s helped me in the TV stuff.
“I think it’s sort of taught me as well that these guys, they’re probably well paid at the top end, but your life goes out the window in a sense, your family life and all that kind of stuff.
“Fans in the street just think they turn up on 3 o’clock on a Saturday and it’s an easy job.
“If you look at the very top, Pep Guardiola. He’s in there 7 o’clock in the morning, leaving at 10 o’clock at night sometimes. It’s nearly a devotion as much as anything.
“I think I’m really happy with my life at the minute where it is with regards balance and family life.”
Let’s look back to Japan/ South Korea 2002, Ireland’s last appearance at a World Cup, was that the peak for you?
“Yeah, definitely the peak of my career was representing Ireland in the World Cup finals, because growing up in Donegal, we were all part of the Jack Charlton era.
“The whole country stopped when the World Cup games were on and this was obviously before iPads and iPhones. We were all glued around the TV.
“And these guys were our heroes.
“When they got the results, which they did over the different campaigns, we were out celebrating in the garden and down to the local village.
“That was the scene up and down the country, tricolours everywhere, so to play in that was just a surreal moment for me really.
“It’s so long now since we’ve been there, it’s just mind boggling when you say 22 years.
“It’s scary, in fact.
“But this group of players have an opportunity to put the record straight and to make memories for themselves.
“For a lot of young fans in Ireland as well, these guys can all be heroes as well.
“That’s the great thing about football and sport in general.
“You can be a hero by representing your country and qualifying for major tournaments.
“I know a few of the lads still in the squad.
“They’re really hungry and desperate to qualify.
“We just hope that the new guy can get the job done.”
There is reason to have faith. I have been looking up Heimir Hallgrímsson and his achievements with Iceland. He has a certain international pedigree…
“Yeah, the FAI would say there was a big sort of push to get the right person.
“And they took their time.
“You, like probably everyone else including myself, was having to dig up then, ‘Who is this guy? What’s he done? Where’s he come from?’
“When you start delving into it, he got Iceland up the 18th at one point in the FIFA rankings and obviously knocked England out of a major tournament and all this kind of stuff.
“I like some of the stuff about set plays and long throws.
“I know it’s a bit old school and the modern world is playing out from the back and playing through the thirds and all this stuff.
“But let’s not get away from some things that we’re good at as well.
“If you have the likes of Ferguson and maybe touch wood Delap, play to your strengths, play to the strengths of the team and the players you have available.
“He strikes me as someone who does that and doesn’t shy away from getting balls in the box, or long throws, or whatever it might be.
“If he sees a weakness in the opposition, he plays on that weakness.
“We are a small nation with a small pool of players but I think we’ve got a good pool of players, a strong pool of players.
“What I would say is on the last couple of campaigns, we’ve got off to a really poor start.
“I think if one thing the manager can bring is try and get off to a better start to give us hope, an opportunity of qualifying.
“Because the last couple of campaigns, we had such a poor start and then you’re chasing it to try and qualify.
“We need to get off the good start and from the very first game really.”
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