IRISH PLAYERS ON THE MOVE:KAKA MAY not have fancied going there and Robinho has even given the impression on occasion that he puts in evenings plotting his escape, but Shay Given insisted yesterday the prospect of starting life as a Manchester City player this week had kept him awake on Sunday night.

“I was so excited last night I couldn’t sleep,” said the Donegalman, who is scheduled to be officially unveiled on Thursday morning.

“It will be like being a kid at a new school at training. I want to meet the lads, get to know my new surrounds, and get down to work.”

There appears to be little or no ill-will among Newcastle fans towards Given over his decision to leave the Tyneside club after more than a decade, but the 32-year-old dismisses any suggestion he might have shown too much loyalty to his former employers by staying at St James’ Park for longer than was really wise in career terms.

“No, I feel the best years are still ahead of me. I work hard in training to keep improving and that will never change.”

Apart from a sizeable increase in his weekly take-home pay, the most immediate benefit for the Ireland international will be the opportunity to play European football again with City due to resume their Uefa Cup campaign against FC Copenhagen next month.

Signings had to be completed by Sunday night if the players were to be eligible, something Given said he was well aware of as the days slipped by and talks about his move dragged on.

“I was delighted to get the move tied up,” he said, “because of the Uefa deadline.

“I didn’t want to be sat in the stand if City are going to be picking up the Uefa Cup later this season.”

The Irishman admitted his arrival will be seen by the club’s two resident goalkeepers as a significant setback but insisted that it needn’t all be bad news for Joe Hart and Kasper Schmeichel.

“They might not be all that happy to see me, but I would like to think that we can all work together and all improve together.

“I have a lot of experience that I can pass on.”

Willo Flood, meanwhile, said he was as thrilled as he was surprised to become a Celtic player after being presented to the media yesterday as the club’s new number 16. It is the same shirt worn by Roy Keane during his short spell with the club.

“Never in a million years did I think that I’d get to play for Celtic,” said the Dubliner. “I just wanted to go to Dundee United and play as well as possible so this is all a dream come true for me.”

As Flood arrived, Ireland underage international Cillian Sheridan was moving on loan from Celtic to Motherwell until the end of the season.

And another Irish teenager, midfielder John Sullivan, completed his move from Bohemians to Hamilton for an undisclosed fee.