Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given has committed himself to Newcastle United for another five years.  The Donegal man and his representatives had been in discussions with the club since last weekend.

Given has been linked with moves to Manchester United and Arsenal in previous seasons but he always remained loyal to the Magpies even when many felt he would be better served by a move.

But Newcastle's spirited finish to the season - which secured InterToto Cup football despite at one stage looking like finishing well off the pace - is believed to be the main reason why Given is staying put.

"I'm extremely delighted to get my new contract sorted," he said. "I've already had nine great years here and I'm now looking forward to five more. Hopefully we can win something in that time because I'm still very hungry to win things as a Newcastle player.

"I've said before that I feel like an adopted Geordie now. The fans here are second to none and St James' Park is a fantastic place to play football."

Given is said to be particularly pleased with the progress the club has made under Glenn Roeder following Graeme Souness' sacking in February.

Roeder, who is expected to be made full-time manager on Monday, is, in turn, particularly fond of Given and made him stand-in captain for Alan Shearer who got injured late in the season.

Despite Newcastle's indifferent performances throughout the season, Given has remained remarkably consistent throughout and, accordingly, was named on the professional's team of the season