Shay Given’s future at Manchester City is in doubt after the Irish international was left on the bench for the Premier League opener against Tottenham Hotspur.
Joe Hart was given the nod to start ahead of Given at White Hart Lane, which would appear to suggest that he will be the first choice goalkeeper at Eastlands this season.
The 34-year old had suggested earlier in the week that he would be prepared to leave the club if he wasn’t getting first team football.
“I haven’t joined Manchester City to sit on the bench or whatever,†he said.
“I’ve gone there to play, it’s an ambitious club and I’m an ambitious person, I haven’t gone there to take it easy and put my feet up. If that’s not the case, I suppose I’ll sit down on Monday with the club and see where I can go after that.”
“I wouldn’t say I’d be happy enough to sit on the bench all season and watch the guys play. I’m 34 and you cherish every year, every game really and you don’t want to miss any football so, for me, it’s very important that I play football.
“I hope to play on Saturday and if that’s not the case then we’ll speak next week. I know I’m at a very exciting club, a very ambitious club with great owners and great ambition to win trophies. That’s why I went there in the first place.
“If I wasn’t to play then possibly a loan thing or something just to get games really, to get playing because that’s why you play football. From a young age, you just want to play football. It doesn’t matter how old you are or what you’ve done or haven’t done, you just want to play in every game. That’s the bottom line for me,” he added.
Arsenal, Celtic and Fulham are all said to be interested in signing Given before the end of the transfer window on the last day of August.
