“I played with Vieira, Shearer and Tevez, but it was this player who left me stunned the most”

Shay Given has shared a locker room with some of the biggest names in soccer during his two-decade professional career.

“I played with Alan Shearer for many years,” replied the 134-cap Ireland international when asked which of his former team-mates had the most talent.

“Carlos Tevez was brilliant too, and Patrick Vieira towards the end of his career. What a player he was.

But it was a 1.70m Spaniard with floppy hair who came away from Given the most stunned as a player.

By the time David Silva arrived at Manchester City in 2010, after winning the World Cup with Spain, Given had been at the club for almost 18 months.

In his first and only season alongside El Mago, Given was part of the City team that ended a three-decade wait for a major trophy by winning the 2011 FA Cup.

“He was a wizard, some of the things he did,” the goalkeeper exclusively told Express Sport. “He made the game so easy. It wasn't easy. But no one could ever approach him.

“You were sitting there thinking, 'How is this possible?' » because he always had time with the ball. How can David Silva have so much space at the edge of the box when everyone knows he is one of the best players in the Premier League?

Silva has endeared himself to the City faithful in record time. In his seventh league appearance for the club, Silva opened his Premier League account, netting a stylish left-footed effort at Blackpool.

“I think even Blackpool Tower took a left turn at one point,” Given said with a laugh as he reflected on Silva's stunner against the Seasiders.

Collecting it in the far right corner of the penalty area, Silva, with a telepathic understanding of where the ball was at his feet, sent two Blackpool defenders flying with a fake disguised shot, before finally picking a spot in the far left corner and slotting home perhaps his most memorable goal of all time for City.

Blackpool goalkeeper Matt Gilks, resigned to the result, remained unmoved as Silva took off his shirt and celebrated his first Premier League goal.

Another 59 players in the league would follow, with Silva finally ending his time at City in 2020 after 10 years and 13 major honours.

But it was that FA Cup-winning season in 2010/11 that left such a lasting impression on Given. And can we really blame him?

Shay Given is a brand ambassador for sports betting platform CopyBet. Visit CopyBet.com