Manchester City goalkeeper Shay Given ready to battle with Joe Hart for number one spot

Shot-stopper has Hart for a fight...

4 Jul 2010 14:29:00

By Joe Whitbread

More On :  Manchester City, Shay Given, Joe Hart
Shay Given, Manchester City (Getty Images)
Manchester City goalkeeper Shay Given has warned Joe Hart that he will not easily give up the No. 1 jersey at Eastlands next season.
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The 34-year-old faces a battle to remain as City's first choice 'keeper next campaign after Hart's impressive loan spell at Birmingham City last season.

But Given has told the England international that he is ready for the challenge after returning from rehabilitation following a shoulder injury.

He told the Daily Star Sunday: "My aim is to be back fit and playing by the start of the season. Things are progressing well. I may have to miss one or two pre-season friendlies but I am not far away at all.

"Joe [Hart] is a top young goalkeeper, a real talent and I saw what he could do before he left for Birmingham. But he's back now and it will be good to work with him again.

"He is one for the future and no doubt now that he is back at Manchester City he has big ambitions."

It has been suggested that Hart, widely tipped to be England's next first choice goalkeeper, will leave City if he fails to nail down a first team spot next season.

But the 23-year-old has shrugged off speculation surrounding his future and insists he is focused on taking Given's No. 1 jersey.

"City are a club I have been at for a long time now and a club I think a lot of. I still have to wait and see how it works out there," he said.

"But the decision on my future is not up to me. I'm just a player. It's not down to me at the end of the day. I'm contracted to City and that's where I'm going back to. That's the team I'm part of. It's as simple as that.

"I intend to fight for the England No. 1 jersey. That's all I want to do.

"I thought David James did great in South Africa and it's a shame it turned out how it did. We went out there to give our all and wanting to progress in the tournament but in the end it wasn't the case.

"We went to South Africa to do a job but unfortunately it didn't work out that way."

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