Given: Admirers in Italy
Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni has conceded he has spoken to a number of Italian clubs about Shay Given.
The Newcastle goalkeeper is thought to be the subject of interest from Tottenham but Trapattoni believes he could be a success in his native Italy.
Given has long-since been established as one of the Premier League’s top goalkeepers and is not short of admirers both domestically and abroad.
Trapattoni has made no secret of his admiration for the player and has now taken the somewhat unusual step of recommending him to clubs in Serie A.
“I speak to two or three big managers who are friends and they ask me if they think Given can play in Italy with them,” he is quoted as saying in the Daily Mail.
“With his personality and quality, I feel he is as good as Gianluigi Buffon.”
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