Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given has criticised Newcastle United for the way they handled his transfer to Manchester City and revealed he was extremely unhappy with life at the north-east club for the last six months of his 12-year spell with the Magpies.

Given completed his move to Eastlands last week in a deal reported to be in the region of €7.5m in one of the most protracted deals of the January transfer window.

Given first signalled his intention to leave Newcastle last month when he released a statement via his lawyer describing how he had become disillusioned with life at the club and was considering leaving following interest from City.

He believes that after spending over a decade at Newcastle, he should have been allowed to leave the club to challenge for trophies.

“I just felt that after I’d been there for nearly 12 years and the service I gave the club, then the regime at Newcastle could have handled the whole thing a bit better,” he said.

“They made me do things I didn’t want to do and this was an opportunity to further my career and pick up more silverware.”

He added: “In the last six months it has been fizzling out. It has not been enjoyable going into training. Maybe it’s myself just being selfish, but I think I deserved a little bit better than that.”

When he released the statement, which came after the Magpies’ 5-1 against Liverpool, Given said he had signed a new five-year contract in 2006 with the promise that Newcastle would be challenging for silverware.

With Newcastle struggling to stay in the Barclays Premier League this season, Given felt that promise had not been fulfilled and decided to move Eastlands to challenge for trophies.

“The Liverpool match was a low point in my career,” the 32-year-old said. “It was one of those points where if I had left the pitch and never seen a football again I would have been happy I was that low.

“I didn’t know if I was going to leave but a lot of people said I was happy and settled which, I was in a way, but I wasn’t comfortable. I wasn’t comfortable with the way the club was going. I wanted to be challenging for honours.

“By coming here I thought I could be at a club that is challenging for honours. I didn’t want to finish my career regretting not taking up this offer, I’m an ambitious guy and I want to do the best I can in such a short career.”