Shay Given & Kevin Kilbane - Congratulations

Xavi6

Both set to win their 100th cap tomorrow. A fantastic achievement for two players who have been loyal servants for more than a decade.

Given has been one of the best keepers in the business throughout his career and Kilbane is one of those players you can always rely on to give 100%.

I've always had respect for Kilbane since I saw him singing the national anthem. Fair play to him for taking pride in learning it.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/8304872.stm

Skipper Given to earn 100th cap

Marco Tardelli says Given is the second best goalkeeper in the world

Shay Given will captain the Republic of Ireland as he wins his 100th cap in Wednesday's World Cup qualifier against Montenegro at Croke Park.

Republic boss Giovanni Trapattoni considered whether to rest Given as the Manchester City keeper has picked up a yellow card in the campaign.

Another booking would rule Given out of next month's play-off first leg.

However, Trapattoni said on Tuesday that Given would be honoured with the captaincy in Wednesday's game.

Robbie Keane is the Republic's regular skipper.

But while Given will play, Trapattoni has decided that other regulars Aiden McGeady and Keith Andrews will not feature on Wednesday because they are on yellow cards.

With Glenn Whelan also suspended, Hibernian's Liam Miller and QPR's Martin Rowlands look likely to start in central midfield with Stephen Hunt and fit-again Damien Duff occupying the wide roles.

The Republic boss said that he had taken the decision to play Given because of the "lesser risk" of the goalkeeper picking up another caution.

Given had also made clear to Trapattoni his desire to play on Wednesday.

Given, Andrews, McGeady and Leon Best all have picked up one yellow card in the current qualifiers.

Kevin Kilbane is also in line to bring up his century of Republic appearances on Wednesday.

Their achievement is one which has impressed even the much-decorated Republic assistant boss Marco Tardelli.

"I am very envious because I played only 85 matches for my team," said Tardelli.

"They must be very proud to play 100 matches for their country."

Given has been a mainstay for his country since making his debut against Russia in March 1996, and Tardelli rates the Manchester City goalkeeper as the second best in the world behind Italy's Gianluigi Buffon.

"I have said many times that Shay is the second best goalkeeper in the world, that's my opinion. Italy's Gianluigi Buffon is first and after him, Shay Given."

noodler

Damn right.

Two Irish legends and fair play to them.

Never missing when the country needs them to play.

Mr Alan

I love Kilbane.

GavRedKing

Well done to both players for making it to 100 caps.

Soby

Great to see given as captain aswell

thorbarry

fair play to the two of them. I always hear alot of people complain about Kilbane. He has played for ireland with alot of pride, and really enjoys playing for us, which is great to see from any player. He always wants to play and always gives 100%

bullvine

Fairplay to Kilbane, a great player for the irish team especially during the McCarthy years!

Daemonic

It would be a fitting tribute if Shay passed the armband to KK at half time since both are reaching a fantastic milestone in the same game.

_blank_

How many more consecutive competitive games does Killer have to play in to break that record?

evil_seed

congrats shay & zinedine

will1977

Des wrote: »

How many more consecutive competitive games does Killer have to play in to break that record?

I thought he had broken it already ??

flahavaj

Stan has the record at the moment on 102 I thought?

will1977

flahavaj wrote: »

Stan has the record at the moment on 102 I thought?

Think its competitive games he means

helimachoptor

flahavaj wrote: »

Stan has the record at the moment on 102 I thought?

Caps in total, Des is asking how many consecutive games must he play before he breaks the record for consecutive games, I was also under the impression that the record was his.

_blank_

For Ireland it is, not the world.

He's #3 in the world I think.

Daemonic

IIRC it was mentioned during the pre-match commentary against Italy that the record is 70 games in a row.

Bubs101

Des wrote: »

For Ireland it is, not the world.

He's #3 in the world I think.

High praise. Cesar is probably better as well.

Got to say I'm surprised that Kikou reached 100 caps. Not saying he shouldn't have but he's not the kind of guy I'd ever expect to reach that milestone

dannydiamond

Why in gods name is he risking Given if he's on a yellow? It's a nice gesture and all but Ireland really can't afford to be without him for the playoffs.

CHD

dannydiamond wrote: »

Why in gods name is he risking Given if he's on a yellow? It's a nice gesture and all but Ireland really can't afford to be without him for the playoffs.

It's very unlikely he will be booked, he know's he is on a yellow and would concede rather than make a dodgy tackle. Safe enough.

Niska

Billy Wright has the consecutive record (with 70 consecutive games) - KK will be second to him when he plays on Weds.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Wright_(footballer)

kmart6

Congrats to both!

That_Guy

Fair play to Kilbane and Given for making it to 100 caps. Fantastic achievements and a credit to their loyalty despite the horror of the last couple of years.

Here's to the next hundred.

JerryHandbag

Congrats to KK & the best keeper in the world.

Aidric

thorbarry wrote: »

fair play to the two of them. I always hear alot of people complain about Kilbane. He has played for ireland with alot of pride, and really enjoys playing for us, which is great to see from any player. He always wants to play and always gives 100%

It's a shame he's such a liability.

Het-Field

I extend my congratulations to both.

I was at Lansdowne Road when Shay made his debut against Russia in March 1996. With Alan Kelly in the wings, it only looked a temporary arrrangement. Unbeknownst to many Irish football fans, we were witnessing the debut of our finest ever keeper.

Although I was not in Rekjavik, I remember Kilbane's debut. After 45 mins he was subbed. To many, it appeared that like Branagan,Goodman, Savage, Farrelly, and that Plymoth guy who made one appearence against Romania in 1997, it was all over before it began. This was not to be the case, and he has been integral ever since.

noodler

Aidric wrote: »

It's a shame he's such a liability.

He really is being taken part by the fair weathers for the Bulgarian errors.

Try and remember the towering performances at Left back as he heads every away every punt that comes his way, his lung bursting runs down the left and a fairly nifty cross through the years.

We also have no one better in the position in fairness.

Het-Field

noodler wrote: »

He really is being taken part by the fair weathers for the Bulgarian errors.

Try and remember the towering performances at Left back as he heads every away every punt that comes his way, his lung bursting runs down the left and a fairly nifty cross through the years.

We also have no one better in the position in fairness.

Sadly, Joey O Brien's injuries have pput pay to his chances as the natural successor.

noodler

Het-Field wrote: »

Sadly, Joey O Brien's injuries have pput pay to his chances as the natural successor.

Was he not right back?

Mr.Nice Guy

noodler wrote: »

He really is being taken part by the fair weathers for the Bulgarian errors.

Try and remember the towering performances at Left back as he heads every away every punt that comes his way, his lung bursting runs down the left and a fairly nifty cross through the years.

Eh, what matches were these?

I respect Kilbane for his commitment and contribution over the years and feel he warrants his place in the squad, but as far as the first XI is concerned he is a liability and has been for some time.

noodler

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

Eh, what matches were these?

I respect Kilbane for his commitment and contribution over the years and feel he warrants his place in the squad, but as far as the first XI is concerned he is a liability and has been for some time.

Far, far more often than not.

Off the top of my head - he was very good in the home 1-1 draw with Russia in Kerr's first campaign Russians resorted to hacking him down every 5 minutes towards the end. Missing Keane that game so he really tried his best to step up.

Great assist in a free for Doherty in the home game with Georgia too (under Kerr).

Great goal against Czechs last campaign.

Thats just off the top of my head but come on, don't pretend all his 99 games have been like the Bulgarian ones.

Mr.Nice Guy

noodler wrote: »

Far, far more often than not.

Off the top of my head - he was very good in the home 1-1 draw with Russia in Kerr's first campaign Russians resorted to hacking him down every 5 minutes towards the end. Missing Keane that game so he really tried his best to step up.

Great assist in a free for Doherty in the home game with Georgia too (under Kerr).

Great goal against Czechs last campaign.

Thats just off the top of my head but come on, don't pretend all his 99 games have been like the Bulgarian ones.

Wasn't he playing on the left side of midfield in those games though?

I can't recall off the top of my head any high profile games where he has looked assured at left-back. I agree the Bulgaria games shouldn't be used as a stick to beat the guy with, but it's not like there weren't warning signs prior to those games. He's never really looked comfortable in the role and against top opposition I could well see him being a weak link.

I mean imagine if we were to draw Portugal in the play offs and he had to go up against Cristiano Ronaldo. We would be torn to pieces. Such a situation in my opinion would require O'Shea having to be deployed in the role with say Finnan moving in at right-back. I'd have no confidence in Kilbane there.

Xavi6

Het-Field wrote: »

Although I was not in Rekjavik, I remember Kilbane's debut. After 45 mins he was subbed. To many, it appeared that like Branagan,Goodman, Savage, Farrelly, and that Plymoth guy who made one appearence against Romania in 1997, it was all over before it began. This was not to be the case, and he has been integral ever since.

Ah yes, who could forget Mickey Evans?

super_furry

dannydiamond wrote: »

Why in gods name is he risking Given if he's on a yellow? It's a nice gesture and all but Ireland really can't afford to be without him for the playoffs.

Can't help but agree with this. Montenegro is a nothing game and it's daft to risk our best player.

mayordenis

it's 6 of one half dozen of the other with Shay,
if he were to play and get a yellow (quite unlikely anyway) tomorrow he would be out for the 1st leg, if he doesn't and he got a yellow in the first leg he would be out for the 2nd - again both are reasonably unlikely but if I had to choose I'd rather we go into the 2nd leg with a full strenght side.

8-10

super_furry wrote: »

Can't help but agree with this. Montenegro is a nothing game and it's daft to risk our best player.

+1

I reckon if 100 caps means so much to risk the player, then bring him on to a standing ovation with 5mins to go. We all know he'll play every game he's fit for in the next couple of years anyway. Playoffs are the only priority now.

Jam-Fly

mayordenis wrote: »

it's 6 of one half dozen of the other with Shay,
if he were to play and get a yellow (quite unlikely anyway) tomorrow he would be out for the 1st leg, if he doesn't and he got a yellow in the first leg he would be out for the 2nd - again both are reasonably unlikely but if I had to choose I'd rather we go into the 2nd leg with a full strenght side.

very good point

Jam-Fly

As for Kilbane, great guy, always gives 100%, will play wherever he is asked, great work rate and commitment. Several attributes that are badly needed in the Ireland squad.

I have great respect for him for that.



But still, 1:40-1:50 does seem to speak the truth

ciaran76

Well done to both players.

noodler

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

I can't recall off the top of my head any high profile games where he has looked assured at left-back.

He played ok in most of the games this campaign tbh. I mean bar Bulgaria, what would you specifically blame him for?

Very few looked assured in the last campaign at all.

super_furry wrote: »

Can't help but agree with this. Montenegro is a nothing game and it's daft to risk our best player.

Meh, doubt anyone will be booked tonight, never mind the goalkeeper wary of missing the next game.

BaZmO*

Daemonic wrote: »

It would be a fitting tribute if Shay passed the armband to KK at half time since both are reaching a fantastic milestone in the same game.

I've no doubt whatsoever that's what will happen tonight.

Read a nice piece the other day by Tom Humphries.

Now just off his century of caps, Kevin Kilbane bucks the trend of the modern professional in his enduring devotion to playing for his country, writes Tom Humphries

“Players these days don’t see it as pride in their country, they see it more as a chore, you know ‘God, I have to go again’. That was the way it always was for me.”

– Stephen Ireland

October, 2009

WE NEED to talk about Kevin. There is something seriously wrong with Kevin Kilbane. In a world of gloriously narcissistic, whinge-bag millionaires he stands out like a mop-haired sore thumb. With all his pleases and his thank yous and his humility and his ready smiles. He’s too bloody happy. And polite. And willing. And patient.

He suffers the slings and arrows which paying customers throw at him and gets on with his job. He is so deeply eccentric that he has forgotten to “retire” from international football to concentrate on his club career. He’d walk over hot coals to get to a kick around. He even treats journalists well.

What’s his game? What sort of example is he setting? Do we want our kids to be like this? All open faced and enthusiastic and grateful. Niall Quinn once said that Kevin Kilbane is the sort of guy of you’d want your daughter to marry. Quinn stuck out like a big lanky sore thumb of course.

Tonight Kilbane will be in Croke Park. He’ll sing the anthem and he’ll glue the huddle together and he’ll give it his all till he is called ashore or the referee blows the final whistle. And so with a huge game against Italy he will arrive on the cusp of a landmark none of us thought possible when we saw him make his debut in Iceland 12 years ago. Ninety-nine caps and his century looming next Wednesday. An incredible run of being selected for almost 60 competitive games in a row.

Does he not realise how deeply unfashionable he is? No Bentleys pimped in pink. No superman jocks. No strops. No sulks. No tantrums. Ah, God love him.

That day in Reykjavik, the day they were burying the Princess of Wales and the Irish team baffled the locals by wearing back armbands, you’d have got long odds on Kilbane’s career reaching double figures in terms of caps. Every coltish adventure down the left wing ended with him being flattened or the ball running harmlessly out of play. Or both. He was awful. and he lasted till half-time. He didn’t reappear in an Irish jersey for six months but he kept on keeping on. He didn’t start another Irish game for two years. By the time Ireland came home from the 2002 World Cup he had became indispensable.

“Genuinely,” he says with a grin, “I can’t remember too much about that day in Iceland. I look back and I remember that, yeah, I didn’t play well. I can’t remember why I didn’t play well (actually the reason why was a full-back called Lárus Sigurðsson with whom he later played briefly at WBA) I’ve not seen clips of the game but I was just so proud at the time, I was 20-years-old to get my international debut in a massive qualifier like that, I can look back with a little bit of pride on it really.”

In an era when, as he says himself, some players “retire from international football at 21 or 22” he is the antithesis of the pampered egotists who get too big for where they came from. Reared in Preston by a dad, Farrell, from Achill Island, and a mother, Theresa, from Longford via Liverpool, he had more of a sense of his origins than many players born and reared on this island. His Dad worked on the roads. His Mam was a dinner lady. Their house was haunted by the ghosts of Kevin Barry and Dev and JFK and dreams were green and a meal wasn’t a meal unless it had potatoes on the plate.

“There’s no point in me saying I always dreamed of winning 100 caps for Ireland because winning one cap was beyond what I dreamed about. It would mean a lot. You get into the 90s and it does get spoken about. I’ve tried to brush it off. You have big games and you try to focus but when you are a kid growing up you never dream of even playing once. I can’t say it was a dream to play a 100 times because I never thought I would get anything like that. When I was a kid no Irish payer had ever played 100 times. To get there and be so close I can only say that I am really, really proud. Even when I won that first cap I was just thinking this is brilliant. If I never won another cap I would have been happy.”

He was a fresh-faced kid at Preston, his local club, making modest waves as a shoulders hunched, down the tramlines winger when Sam Allardyce came to him with good news. Kevin Kilbane had been picked to play for the England youths. No other thought crossed Kilbane’s mind that day but how do I explain this to the boss. “But I’m Irish,” he said and that was it. He was on the way to fulfilling a dream that he’d had since childhood, something that he nurtured through watching Ireland beat England in Stuttgart in 1988 and beating Italy in New Jersey six years later. That was what he wanted to be part of.

Lately life has speeded up at club level. After a gentle start in the backwaters with Preston and then West Bromwich there were some unhappy times at Sunderland before he moved to Everton and onto Wigan and then Hull where he has even ended up playing centre back without calling his agent and demanding a move. With the business of changing job so regularly surely he has thought about the well-used old bolthole: concentrating on his club career.

“Definitely not. I love coming in. Now, even more so when you can reflect on it all. I look back on it all with a smile on my face. There have been times when probably I haven’t performed or I have underachieved a little bit but worse things can happen and do happen. I love it. I enjoy training. To play at this stage, it has been very, very fulfilling. I have been asked why so many times? The media have asking me since I was about 27 when am I going to retire! Trying to tell me something! I think in general now the normal thing to do is retire very, very early.

“Lads who retire early don’t want to play. They have Champions League or massive games at club level, for me this is my Champions League. You have a family and are away for a couple of weeks at a time and it’s not easy on them but my wife knows what it means to me to play for Ireland. As long as she is supporting me I will play.”

And oddly for a player who is so cheerfully self-deprecating, one suspects that for another while, as Eddie Nolan works his apprenticeship, there will be some place for him as long as he wants it. Kilbane may never have had the magic feet of a Duff or a McGeady but he had devoted himself to his game with the heart of a kid who would play football from dawn to dusk and then come in and dream about playing football. He works harder than just about every player he plays with because he doesn’t think of what he does as hard work.

Tonight is an evening in the office which fits into that category. Fun. He loves the days when the green shirts are pitted against more vaunted opposition, the days when passion and pride can make a difference. When he talks about Italy and other big nights he subconsciously explains how he fits in to Irish teams, how as a winger he never left an Irish full-back exposed, and as a full-back he has no quit in him.

“Going into the Dutch game in 2001 we were going into the unknown. We knew if we beat Holland we would put them out of it. It was such a massive game. There is that bit of a vibe or similar sort of feel this week. If the worst comes to the worst our rule is don’t concede. Try to stay in the game as long as possible. That’s always been the way with Irish sides. If the worst comes to the worst don’t give goals away cheaply. Every game we have played in we have been confident we will score a goal. We just try to make sure they don’t score a goal.”

He puts up his hand to the mistake in Bulgaria which cost points and doesn’t view that night in Bari as quite the triumph the rest of us did, given that the Italians were reduced to 10 men so early on but whatever has happened in the past is over and done with. He wants one more shot. A big night like tonight and maybe, though he would never admit to even daydreaming about it, another World Cup. His farewell note to Japan and South Korea after all was an unhappy one. That wide from two yards after Iker Casillas had saved Ian Harte’s penalty. At the end of extra-time though it was Kevin Kilbane who put his hand up to take one of the penalties. He missed but others hid from the responsibility.

There’ll be other better players hiding from the responsibility tonight too. Kevin Kilbane, unfashionable to the point of quaintness will be running his heart out though acting like the sort of footballer we all dreamed of becoming, the sort who never loses touch with the romance of the game. And he’ll have better stories to tell his kids and grandkids. Grand tales that don’t involve sulks, self-pity or superman jocks.

LowOdour

its strange that it took him probably near 60-70 games before he became really apprciated by the irish fans. I like him, but think he is now too prone to mistakes and be taken to cleaners by a good right winger/midfielder. Have huge respect for him, but will never forgive him for his miss against spain at WC 2002

Bandit12

Fair play to both of them. Great players and servents to the country.

IRISHSPORTSGUY

Shay is a colossus, possibly the greatest keeper this country has ever produced. Goes without saying. The youth coaches that aided his development deserve a big pat on the back.

Kilbane really is a nice guy, there's no player I wish better more than KK. He always gives 100%, has never hid and always gave his best. I really do feel bad for him if he makes a mistake. That said, I've never been as infuriated with a player after Spain in '02. And, it pains me to say it, but he's been a liability for quite a while. I wish Trapatonni had shuffled things around to exclude him this campaign (tin hat on).

noodler

IRISHSPORTSGUY wrote: »

Shay is a colossus, possibly the greatest keeper this country has ever produced. Goes without saying. The youth coaches that aided his development deserve a big pat on the back.

Kilbane really is a nice guy, there's no player I wish better more than KK. He always gives 100%, has never hid and always gave his best. I really do feel bad for him if he makes a mistake. That said, I've never been as infuriated with a player after Spain in '02. And, it pains me to say it, but he's been a liability for quite a while. I wish Trapatonni had shuffled things around to exclude him this campaign (tin hat on).

Quite a while? Examples other than Bulgaria?

Given the general crapiness of the last campaign it is kind of hard to single him out there too.

I mean St Ledger was ropy as fcuk the other night for example.

BaZmO*

People just slate Kilbane because he's the easy option and for some reason his mistakes are used against him more than anybody elses. Anybody that plays 100 games for his country is gonna make some mistakes.

Mr.Nice Guy

noodler wrote: »

He played ok in most of the games this campaign tbh. I mean bar Bulgaria, what would you specifically blame him for?

Very few looked assured in the last campaign at all.

I wouldn't specifically blame him for games other than the Bulgaria one but I don't rate any of the other teams. I've found his distribution to be quite poor in most games and watching him in the recent game against Italy there were a few times when as soon as he got the ball he just hoofed it up the pitch. His frailties have been there for some time, it's just that when he came up against decent opposition in Bulgaria they were exposed ruthlessly. The same thing is likely to happen if we land one of the big guns in the play-offs.

He's a great pro, applies himself to the best of his ability and I am happy for him to have reached this milestone, but I would be far more confident going into the play-offs if the back four consisted of Finnan, Dunne, St. Ledger and O'Shea. Wouldn't you?

Rondolfus

Mr.Nice Guy wrote: »

He's a great pro, applies himself to the best of his ability and I am happy for him to have reached this milestone, but I would be far more confident going into the play-offs if the back four consisted of Finnan, Dunne, St. Ledger and O'Shea. Wouldn't you?

I would too but I just don't have it in my heart to speak ill of Zinedine Kilbane. He's an Irish legend even though he never really had great natural ability.