Sign up NOW for our daily Villa newsletter direct to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Shay Given’s saves have helped guide Aston Villa to a Wembley semi-final - and now the veteran goalkeeper wants a quiet afternoon on his big day out.

The stopper has suffered his far share of heartbreak in the famous competition during a career spanning over 20 years.

In the late nineties he was part of the Newcastle side that lost to Arsenal in the final and then a year later, after appearing in every previous round, he was axed for the national stadium showpiece.

There’s a winner’s medal in his house somewhere from when he was on the bench during Manchester City’s triumph in 2011, but that was a day he didn’t enjoy too much either.

Today he’s hoping Villa can progress past Liverpool into the final and give him the chance to make amends for those previous woes - all at the ripe old age of 39.

“I am really looking forward to it because it’s the new Wembley, it’s a huge stadium and as a kid growing up you were diving around the garden thinking you were diving around at Wembley,” he said.

“I am looking forward to diving around Wembley for real on Sunday... but hopefully not too much.”

Looking back on the disappointing days of the past, Given said:

“It was nice to be part of obviously winning it with Man City but when you don’t play it doesn’t have the same value to it as you don’t really get that feeling that you’ve done anything.

“I’ve not got a clue where the medal is.

“It was disappointing with Newcastle on both occasions, too.

“Ruud Gullit, the manager at the time, didn’t even tell me that I wasn’t playing.

“He got the goalkeeping coach (Terry Gennoe) to tell me during the week (leading up to the game).

“That was a bit of a slap in the face or whatever you want to call it.

“On top of that we didn’t play well either and didn’t do ourselves justice and I hope that doesn’t happen (today).

“We want to go there and give a good account of ourselves, and hopefully win the game.”

Given has played in every cup game for Villa this season and was inspirational in the previous rounds as he pulled off fine saves against Blackpool, Bournemouth and Leicester.

He also kept a clean sheet against rivals Albion in the quarter-final which pleased him.

“Thankfully in the FA Cup this year, the run has helped me to show some people that I’m still fit and still able to play,” he said.

“I’ve done well in some of the games as well so it’s been a boost for me personally.

“I think in every game actually, the whole way through, I’ve made saves.

“I was hoping he (manager Tim Sherwood) might pick me in the Premier League then but they mustn’t have been that good!

“You want to play in the big games when there is a big atmosphere and it was great in the quarter-final when we beat West Brom.

“It’s more important to get the result but then as a goalkeeper, it’s nice when you contribute as well.

Walking out onto the Wembley pitch today will be a proud moment for the ‘keeper who has recently won his place back in the Republic of Ireland team.

Had he been allowed to leave Villa Park for the regular football that he desperately craves, times might be different.

When asked if he felt that days like today might have passed him by, Given replied:

“Yeah, I suppose you do and you don’t.

“You don’t know what’s around the corner in football, you know I could probably throw a few cliches at you but you’ve just got to focus, keep your head down and work hard.

“Obviously a new manager comes in here at the club and there’s a new lease of life for everyone as well,

“We have a new goalkeeping coach in Tony Parkes as well. You’re just trying to impress them every day in training and trying to push for a Premier League start with Brad (Guzan) and these games have given me the opportunity to show the manager that I’m still able to play at the top level.”

Given is still very much Villa’s ‘cup goalkeeper’ as Guzan remains the first choice.

(Image: Neville Williams/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images)

Whether the Irishman will move on in the summer remains to be seen as he explained:

“Ideally I’d like to play, ideally at Aston Villa.

“But maybe we’ll sit down in the summer again and see what the thoughts are of the manager.

“I do feel I have maybe come a bit closer to playing again because of the new manager.

“I feel like I can push Brad.

“We will try and get this season out of the way, we will try and get safe of course as we are not safe yet and it will be great to get to the final of the FA Cup but after that we will have a talk.”