One of Irish football's true stalwarts announced his retirement from international football (again) this week. Little did we know when the 19-year-old Given made his debut against Russia in March 1996 exactly how integral his influence on Irish football would be for the following two decades.
A LOT has happened in the time since Given first pulled on the Irish jersey and here are just eight of the most memorable.
Alan Shearer was the world's most expensive player
Back in the summer of 1996, just a few months after Shay Given made his Ireland debut, Newcastle United broke the world transfer record when they stumped up £15 million to splurge on Blackburn Rovers' prodigious goalscoring machine Alan Shearer. Some commentators suggested that football had gone mad and that such fees shouldn't be spent on football players and, rather boldly, there was also suggestions that so inflated was this fee that it would never be broken.
These days £15 million gets you one Jordon Ibe.
Jack Byrne in action for Ireland U21's against Italy
Jack Byrne's entire life (well, almost)
Jack Byrne is the brightest young talent in Irish football at the moment. The youngster spend last season on loan at FC Cambuur in the Dutch Eredivisie and was awarded for his outstanding performances with the club's player of the year award. Now on loan at Blackburn Rovers from his parent club Manchester City (both former clubs of Given's, oddly enough) expect the player who was just a couple of months old when Given made his Ireland bow to make his debut for the national team this season.
Roy Keane Retired Twice
In the span of time that Shay Given was an Ireland international, Roy Keane became Ireland captain essentially qualified Ireland for the 2002 World Cup single-handedly before the incident which we know now as 'Saipan'. Keane retired, came out of retirement, retired again, embarked on a managerial career and then became an employee of the FAI. Pigs do fly, apparently.
Robbie Keane made his debut at 17 and went on to become Ireland's most capped player and top goalscorer
Robbie Keane, who has also announced his intention to leave the internation game, made his international debut two years after given and went on to forge the most successful career of any Irish striker ever. His 67 goals in 145 caps might never be beaten and, if one day it is, don't expect to see that happen inside the next two decades.
Shay Given played soccer in Croke Park
When Given made his debut for the Republic of Ireland no one would have predicted that, just eleven years later, football would be played in Ireland's most historic stadium but played it was and Given was an integral member of the Irish teams that broke boundaries in Dublin 3 back in 2007.
Steve Staunton before taking on Cyprus at Croke Park
Steve Staunton played for six years, retired, became Ireland manager and was sacked
It's a period of Irish football best forgotten but Shay Given was there for it all. Steve Staunton replaced Brian Kerr as Ireland coach and, despite the promise of the opening salvo in Staunton's first match against Sweden, things soon fell apart. It's fair to say that that Given and Staunton's relationship as teammates was a darn sight more successful than it was when Stan was calling the shots.
Ireland qualified for one World Cup and two European Championships
Given was an integral part of the squads of Mick McCarthy, Giovanni Trapattoni and Martin O'Neill which qualified for international tournaments in 2002, 2012 and 2016 and, while he wasn't a start in that final tournament, his influence and experience in the squad was an important influence on Darren Randolph - the man who assumed the #1 jersey from the Donegal man.
Richard Dunne during his now legendary performance away to Russia
Richard Dunne played out his entire Ireland career. So Did Damien Duff.
It says so much about Shay Given's longevity in the green jersey that he outlasted the entire careers of Ireland legends Richard Dunne and Damien Duff - and several others too.
Given's influence on Irish football will echo for a long time and he will, for decades ahead, be the high water mark that all other up and coming goalkeepers in Irish football are measured against. Let's hope at least one of them has just half the talent that Given had.
