Shay Given has said that he wants to take a transfer during the mid-season transfer window.
Given has not made a single appearance for his club Aston Villa in the last one year or so. He had fallen in the pecking order in the last season as Brad Guzan had taken his place as the first choice goalie.
This season, the Irish veteran has fallen even further. He is not even the second choice goalkeeper now. It’s Jed Steer who is the backup shot stopper for Guzan. To be fair, Villa have played well enough so far this season that anyone who has managed to back the Villains with Paddy Power has made a profit, so it's no wonder Given is being left out in the cold.
In one of his recent interviews, Given admitted that the current situation is pretty frustrating for him and he will definitely look for a move away at the start of the next year.
When asked about him being on the sidelines since quite a while, Given said, “It’s really a tough situation especially for a guy who has hardly been dropped in his career.”
“I think there is still a lot of football left in me and I am really gutted that I am not getting the opportunity to get involved.”
“All I can do at the moment is to train hard. Hopefully, a good bid comes up during the mid-season transfer window.”
Meanwhile, the Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert has also made it clear that the club will look to sell Given in January.
Lambert said, “Shay and I have talked about it and we will see what happens in January. If somebody comes with a good bid, we will certainly think about it.”
“Every player wants to be given playing time and so does Shay. Unfortunately, that is not happening at the moment, but, his attitude has not changed. He is still training the same way and that tells you what kind of character he is.”