MX23RW : Saturday, November 16 18:57:19| >> :600:253799:253799:

Shay Given rules out retirement after Stoke City departure

Free agent Shay Given is hoping for one final challenge in the sport before bringing down the curtain on his long-running career.

Shay Given has revealed that he could be tempted to drop down into the Championship next season for "one last hurrah".

The 41-year-old is soon to be a free agent as he has just one month left to run on his Stoke City contract and will not be offered fresh terms.

Given has ruled out calling time on his long-running career, which has seen him play 636 times for club and country, but acknowledges that he will struggle to earn the number-one jersey at a Premier League club.

"I am 41, but I do feel I could go on for another year, be it as a number two or three in the Premier League, or number one in the Championship," he told the Irish Sunday Independent. "There might be one last hurrah, a promotion, it just depends what is out there.

"I have no divine right to get a club but if someone came along and it was of interest, it might happen. I know the end is near. It could be this year, could be next year, but once you do retire, especially at my age, you can't go back in six months and say, 'I've changed my mind and I want to give it another go', and every ex-player I speak to says continue as long as you can.

"There are a couple of options, which is encouraging. I know if the phone doesn't ring by the end of the window, then I won't be moping around because the party is over, but I do feel I could play another year, definitely."

Given played just six times for Stoke in all competitions during the 2016-17 campaign, with Lee Grant filling in between the sticks for the injured Jack Butland.

ID:299655: cacheID:299655:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2503:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Lee Grant for Derby County on January 10, 2015
Read Next:
Hughes: 'Derby pricing Grant out of Stoke move'
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Sunderland1594225111431
2Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd1510321971231
3Leeds UnitedLeeds158522491529
4Burnley157621861227
5West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom15672169725
6Watford158162322125
7Middlesbrough157352317624
8Millwall156541813523
9Blackburn RoversBlackburn156451917222
10Bristol City155732019122
11Swansea CitySwansea155461110119
12Derby CountyDerby155461919019
13Stoke CityStoke155461819-119
14Norwich CityNorwich154652322118
15Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds155371725-818
16Oxford UnitedOxford Utd154561718-117
17Coventry CityCoventry154472021-116
18Plymouth ArgylePlymouth154471526-1116
19Hull City153661620-415
20Preston North EndPreston153661523-815
21Luton TownLuton154381726-915
22Cardiff CityCardiff154381423-915
23Portsmouth152671628-1212
24Queens Park RangersQPR151771225-1310


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!