Interview: Newcastle United goalkeeper Shay Given talks to Michael Walker ahead of the derby against Sunderland, the club which provided him with his only winners' medal

By common consent Shay Given is a good man and a very good goalkeeper. On Tyneside and in Ireland, many say Given is a good man and a great goalkeeper.

What is not in dispute is Given's character, and even in the week of the 125th Tyne-Wear derby there are people from Sunderland prepared to vouch for that. They know Given well on Wearside, because somewhere in his Northumberland home is the sole winners' medal of his career. The name on it is Sunderland.

At 29, and in his ninth season with Newcastle United, Given has been established long enough at St James' Park for outsiders to forget his roots at Celtic and Blackburn Rovers.

As a teenager at Ewood Park, Given was sent on loan to Sunderland in January 1996. In 17 appearances he recorded 12 clean sheets. He helped Sunderland finish top of the first division, won a medal and took his place on an open-top bus parade to celebrate. A year later he belonged to Newcastle.

"Sunderland was a big opportunity for me," Given recalled this week. "I was 19, hadn't played that much, I just wanted to get some more experiences. My debut was at Leicester, (the manager) Peter Reid said to bring some hair gel because it was on TV. I think I made a few saves. A clean sheet.

"I enjoyed it (at the club), there was always a pretty good atmosphere at Roker Park, the crowd packed in behind the goals. I remember it was always pretty windy and chilly. And the only medal I've won in my career was with Sunderland."

Just in case Given sounded mildly enthusiastic about Wearside, in this of all weeks, he quickly added: "I don't have it mounted or anything, it'll be somewhere in the house. I wasn't a Sunderland player, I was just a loanee player from Blackburn."

Point made.

Surely, though, he must retain some affection for Sunderland?

"I have got fond memories of being there, but I wouldn't say that I have fondness for the club, no. I am at Newcastle that long now that I have no feelings whatsoever for Sunderland. I just remember it as a stepping stone in my career really, great experience.

"But this is my ninth season at Newcastle, this club means a lot to me and my son is a born-and-bred Geordie. This is where I have spent most of my life since I left home at 16. I've a lot of friends here and the club have been great to me.

"I'd love to win a medal with Newcastle obviously. I've got runners-up medals from the FA Cup."

Sadly for Given, Newcastle and winners' medals go together like fish and bicycles. At times, such as the end of last season, it has left him demoralised. That was when he publicly, bravely for a player, questioned the "direction" of the club. Since then, Scott Parker, Emre and Michael Owen have arrived, but Newcastle continue to stagger, with just two wins in nine games.

There will be no medals on offer at St James' tomorrow, moreover, just stress and three points. But were it not for Given, Newcastle's outstanding performer, this jarring season could have been even more uncomfortable. Until Jason Roberts scored for Wigan Athletic last Saturday, Given had not been beaten in 387 minutes, including a formidable solo display at Portsmouth.

Manager Graeme Souness has pointed out Newcastle have conceded two goals in their past five games. But performances have been worse than results. That is why this derby has acquired the feel of the tumultuous one in August 1999, which spelt the end for Ruud Gullit. "I didn't play in that game, (his understudy) Steve Harper didn't either," said Given.

"It was Tommy Wright. I was injured. I was there, got soaked. That was a low time for the club. We were struggling for results. But we weren't going out to lose the game or anything, we were desperate to win and it'll be the same on Sunday. Whatever's happening, it doesn't matter, it's about winning the game.

"I don't know if it's as significant as that (Gullit match). It is difficult for me to comment on that, because there are assumptions (in that comparison). We need a run of wins to get confidence and then build from that. Individually we have a squad of some talent, I'd love to see our best XI on the pitch. That's frustrating, but then it's the same for other clubs. So we can't use that as an excuse, we have to knuckle down and work with what we have.

"Every time a derby comes around people say it's a must-win game, but this really is a must-win game. We have got to win the game, especially after such a disappointing result against Wigan. That was a really bad result for us and it's one we have got to put right. There can be no better way to do that than to beat your arch-rivals at home; I don't think anything else would keep people happy. Three points."

As Given spoke, the television in the corner showed Manchester United v Lille. It was a reminder of what Newcastle have lost this season - "Europe's a big miss, makes for a long week" - and what they must aim to regain. With West Brom away next Saturday, victory over Sunderland could indeed be viewed as a turning point. Given was keen to be positive.

After all, he said, the last time the two clubs met, at the Stadium of Light in April 2003, Given kept a clean sheet as Newcastle won 1-0 on their way to finishing third in the Premiership. The defeat was one of the nine Mick McCarthy endured as he tried to inspire a team that had imploded under Howard Wilkinson.

McCarthy is another Sunderland figure Given knows well, having been awarded his first Republic of Ireland cap by him. It was in March 1996 when Given, funnily enough, was a Sunderland player - well, on loan there. "Packie Bonner and Alan Kelly were injured," Given said. "I was at Sunderland and I think that was why Mick called me up, because I was playing first-team. If I'd still been in Blackburn's reserves I don't think I'd have been called up. It was Russia and we lost and Roy Keane got sent off - for just lashing somebody out of it. But great memories: when I got changed I had Roy on one side and Paul McGrath on the other. A couple of months before that I was playing for Blackburn reserves at Wigan's (previous) stadium, Springfield Park, which was old. Here I was sitting between players of that calibre.

"I think Mick is doing a fantastic job at Sunderland. When he first went there he had to get rid of all the high wage-earners and get bargain buys in. Mick and the chief scout, Dave Bowman, deserve great credit for that. Sunderland haven't had a great start but they'll be no pushovers. Even last week, when they got beat by Man United, they were unlucky, by all accounts. Mick's a good guy and he did a great job with Ireland. I respect him."

People, from Wearside and Tyneside, say the same about Shay Given.

Guardian Service