Shay Given hoping to be in the starting lineup for the first game at the Euros
The Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given said that he still has hope to be in the first team for the match against Sweden.
He said that the manager, Martin O’Neill has not revealed yet which goalkeeper will be on the pitch for the first game.
Shay Given was the first choice at the last Euros in 2012 but has since lost his place to Darren Randolph. Indeed, the latter has been the preferred choice of O’Neill since the qualifying campaign, and it is very likely that things will stay that way at the Euros.
Given has stated that there are three good players for the goalkeeping roles and it will be up to the manager to decide. They all just want to keep hope at the moment and will wait for the manager’s choice.
Shay Given, who has just won his 134th cap for Ireland, said that he was pleased to be the longest-serving player for Ireland. However, he admitted that this did not mean much to him as he would have been happy to play for Ireland if it was only once. He said that it is always an honor to represent your country, and he was really glad that he has been able to do so for 19 consecutive years.
He said that Ireland has one of the oldest squads at the Euros, and this does not necessarily constitute a disadvantage. He said that the squad has plenty of experience in every department, and that can be an asset when you are playing at a major competition. He said that Ireland also has some good young players and hope that they can benefit from the experience of the older players.
He believes that Ireland can have a successful tournament if every player plays to their true potential.