Given Moves To Man City

Shay Given has completed his move to Man City for an undisclosed fee and has signed a four-and-a-half year deal. Initial bids of £3m and £5m were rejected, so this improved bid will be in excess of those figures.

Given signed for Newcastle from Blackburn in 1997 and has made 450 appearances for the club. Newcastle have continued to underachieve for a club of its size and Given failed to win the trophies that he, and so many other players have sought when moving to the Magpies. Steve Harper, long time deputy will now get his chance of a regular run in the first team between now and the end of the season.

In a statement to City's official website, Hughes is quoted as saying "I have said for a long time that we need the experience of a keeper like Shay. I am delighted that we have been able to acquire such an accomplished keeper, and one is so highly regarded by everyone in the Premier League."

"We are getting a very good keeper, and the experience he has will help the two outstanding young keepers that we have here in Joe and Kasper. I am looking for them all to grow as a group, and it's important that we have that influence of a senior keeper."

"I have had a good talk with him about where we expect to be in the future. From a football point of view, and a club point of view, it's an easy thing to sell because we know we are going in the right direction. Players want to be part of that."