Former goalkeeper Shay Given has been called out for incorrectly claiming that former Newcastle boss Bobby Robson told him to dive the wrong way for a Wayne Rooney penalty.
The story went, as the former Newcastle shot-stopper told The Overlap podcast: ‘I remember a time at Old Trafford once, we played Man United away and Rooney was the penalty taker – and his last three went to the keeper’s right.
‘Bobby Robson was the manager and I said to the gaffer “well, he’s going to change his mind eventually and go to the left” and Bobby’s like “No! I want you to go to the right.”
‘Anyway, long story short, the goalkeeping coach says “we’re going to go right”. And obviously, invariably, they get a penalty at Old Trafford, which they seemed to do every week at that stage.
‘Rooney steps up and of course Rooney goes to my left and I dive to my right.’
The problem with Given’s tale, however, as users have pointed out on X, is that Robson was sacked the day before Rooney joined United in August 2004.
Not only that, but Given also never went up against a penalty from Rooney while he was at Newcastle.
It wasn’t until the Irishman joined Aston Villa seven years later that he went up against the prolific striker – and did, indeed, fail to stop the strike from the spot.
X users were quick to spot the inaccuracy, with one user, @afcPat415, writing: ‘Cool story, apart from the fact Bobby Robson left Newcastle before Wayne Rooney made his Utd debut (four thumbs up emojis)’.
Another, @StrettyEndView, wrote: ‘Not a single bit of this is true’.
A third wrote: ‘One of the strangest and easiest to disprove lies I’ve heard in a long time.’
Given is widely regarded as one of the greatest Irish goalkeepers of all time and enjoyed a stellar playing career for the likes of Newcastle, Manchester City and Villa.
The 49-year-old made headlines earlier this year after describing Wilfried Nancy’s stint at Celtic as ‘an absolute Holocaust’, live on the BBC.
The extraordinary and offensive word choice from the 49-year-old ex-goalkeeper was broadcast during his punditry duties on Final Score on Saturday.
Nancy’s disastrous tenure in Glasgow lasted 33 days before he was sacked and Given described it as ‘an absolute Holocaust’ – which was the genocide of six million European Jews by Nazi Germany and collaborators in World War II.
Presenter Jason Mohammad ignored the word choice from his colleague at the time but later apologised on the broadcast.
Given himself has since taken to social media to say he didn’t understand the meaning of ‘Holocaust’ and that he would be donating his television fee to the Holocaust Educational Trust.
It happened when Mohammed asked Given: ‘What have you made of what’s gone on at Celtic, Wilfied Nancy going after the defeat against Rangers, awful in the second half?
Given replied: ‘Nancy was terrible from start to finish, I don’t think they should have ended Martin’s (O’Neill’s) short tenure at the start. It was the week leading up to the Hearts game, top of the league clash, then Roma in the Europa League and St Mirren in the League Cup final, I thought Martin should have been given that week at least.
‘Nancy took over that week and had an absolute Holocaust in that week and it was just a nightmare from then on, the defeats and Rangers last weekend was the final straw, final nail in the coffin.’
Towards the end of the show, Mohammad then said: ‘A little earlier you may have heard some inappropriate language so we would like to apologise for any offence caused.’
Given later took to social media, writing: ‘On live television this afternoon, I used a word that I didn’t fully understand the meaning of and certainly won’t ever use again.
‘We all have areas of ignorance in our knowledge and I hope to use this as an opportunity to become better educated going forward. I am genuinely mortified and apologise unreservedly to anyone offended and will be donating my fee from today’s show to Holocaust Educational Trust.’
