And at the same time he lauded the Blues' Irish connection and promised Eastlands fans that his best days are in front of him.
With a dozen years at Newcastle under his belt and legendary status in Tyneside, 32-year-old Given could easily have stayed put in the north east without anyone batting an eyelid.
But it was the excitement of the challenge at City that whetted the highly-rated keeper's professional appetite and persuaded him to leave a house he has just bought and shift his young family - he has two children under five - to Manchester.
He might have some explaining to do to his two-year-old whose Sunday birthday party he missed so he could travel to Eastlands to sign his four-and-a-half year contract but when he does he will be able to pass on his thrill at becoming the fourth new face through City's door during the transfer window.
In return for close to £8m the Blues have landed a player whose brilliance has been praised season after season far beyond the boundaries of Geordieland and the Republic of Ireland.
City have a player whose attitude to training is 'give me more' and whose ego doesn't for a second prevent him from having a genuine aim to help his younger team-mates, and rivals, improve their own games. Given should have little difficulty settling in at City for he has long been an international teammate of Richard Dunne and - until his recent hiatus from playing for his country - Stephen Ireland, and Craig Bellamy is a former colleague from St James' Park.
"Dunney sent me a few text messages recently and it will be great to team up with him," said the new number 37.
"He is one of the best central defenders that I have ever played behind. It will be a bit strange playing with him at club level but he is a fantastic player. We go back a good few years and we have developed a good understanding over the years for our country.
Important
"The centre half and goalkeeper is an important partnership in any side and we have played a lot of times together.
"Mr Trapattoni (the Republic of Ireland coach) might be at Eastlands more often now. Stevie Ireland is here too and has had a brilliant season. He is a fantastic talent and I know Craig well from his days at Newcastle."
Given admits that it didn't take long for boss Mark Hughes to sell the club to him and that the manager impressed with his plans for the coming seasons.
"It was nice to speak to Mark and hear him be so enthusiastic about City's future," said the keeper.
"I think he did a phenomenal job at Blackburn and he is trying to get his methods across as he builds a squad, mixing the talented players already here with some new ones. I have come here to challenge for honours.
"I am very excited to have joined and delighted first and foremost that City wanted my services. I have two young kids, had just moved into a new house in Newcastle and had a lot of friends up there so it would have been easy for me to stay where I was.
"The Newcastle supporters had been great to me over the years and I thank them for that but I just felt it was the right thing for me to come to a club that, in my opinion, is really going places.
"It is a great challenge for me and the rest of the lads to get this club moving forward. With the backing of the new owners the sky is the limit if we can get the right type of player in to join those who are already here.
"I am really excited about what is a new chapter in my life. It is one I am looking forward to.
"The profile of City has changed dramatically and there are some fantastic players here with the promise of more to come.
"I think if you are a City fan you have probably been on the edge of your seat every day in this transfer window.
"There is the nucleus of a very good team here already and I would like to think that I can add to that.
"I am open minded and have a lot of experience in the game and while I have a lot of work to do myself I will be happy to pass on that experience to Joe (Hart) and Kasper (Schmeichel) and hopefully we will all improve together.
Young
"Although I have been around quite a while, I still feel as though I am relatively young for a goalkeeper. Look what David James and Brad Friedel have been doing. I do feel my best years are still ahead of me."
Hughes stressed that the arrival of Given was not a negative reflection on Joe Hart or Kasper Schmeichel who he described as `outstanding young talents'.
"I have said for a long time that we needed the experience of a keeper like Shay and I am delighted to have landed a player who is held in such high regard in the game," concluded the manager.
"He is going to be a great keeper for us and I am looking for our three keepers to grow as a group.
"The influence of a senior keeper may be a big help to their development.
"I told Joe at the beginning of the season that I was looking to bring in an experienced man.
"We are very fortunate to have such depth of quality of keepers at the club.
"We need more than one number one because there are lots of demands and it is a physical sport and, god forbid, if you lose a keeper for any reason it is important to have a quality one to come in as well."
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I hope he gets the best out of Dunne!
I'm sure that he will prove to be a great signing. I expect he will talk more to the defence and command his area better than Joe seems to do - that comes with experience. I hope that Joe decides to stay and gets games if we are battling on more fronts next season? and is in a position to take over from Shay in 3-4 years time.
If there is a god, pal, you'll actually be playing behind Vincent and Ned, so you'll have a lot less to do than you might have anticipated....
for the life of me can't understand why some city fans that r not happy to see a expierence keeper like shay , up to joe hart to prove he's number 1 ,when u look at the like's a brad friedel at villa ,u realise u need a expierence keeper at the top level ,non of the top clubs have a young keeper ,anyway 8 mill seems good business for shay ,when u consider we nearly paid 25mil for santa cruz.......buy him in the summer for 10mill.
Gotta sat I think our "Keeper" set up is now the best in the country.....Another reason for people to be jealous....HAHAHA
makes a lot of sense.
This is the end of Hart as a city player. He will be gone in the summer and we will have lost the future England number one.
I think we will win the All-Ireland Hurling Championships now.
My cousin works in the physio team at Newcastle and is absolutely gutted that Shay's leaving - apparently he's one of the nicest guys you'll meet. I hear tears were shed by many when he said goodbye on Saturday.
Don't worry shay, Dunnie will have no problems scoring goals against you!
As for cups, Ahem, Will the manx cup do? lol.
can i suggest a new career for ||Dunnie|| now that we failed to get Cruz and i admire the city board for not been taken to the cleaners by rovers and big sam, why not try Dunne upfront he has the physic not short of ability for a big man and just might make the difference, it might sound foolish but worth thinking about.
Anyway we now have no more excuses left for hughes he has made the bed in which he must now be judged.
4/5 matches at the most I would give him if he fails then move for Wenger, could he resist the challenge of Taking on ferguson in his home town, doubt it. I do not wish Hughes ill luck but it is time for results now, you cannot blam Sven any longer.
Wenger could have a double brief, to improve the team and performances and to bring along a younger man to take over as and when he retires. He would also improve City's style of play and most certainly attract a better quality of player, which seems to be the achilles heal of Hughes.
To Shay Given welcome to City and its growing appreciation of Irish players, I wish you well and hope your ability can take us up the table and on to victory in europe.
i was over the moon with the takeover and was like others getting carried away with things but now i have been brought back to earth and think about things, i dont think all the money in the world will have us challenging for honours, not while we have mark hughes as manager.I think we will be fighting relegation till the death.People on here have been saying we are better off than last year,how? We lost 13 games last year and were in the top 10 all year never a hint of relegation although the back half was poor, sven and the players knew he was on his way.This season we have lost 11 games already and we will lose alot more,so beleive me if we dont win on saturday then we are well and truly in the brown stuff, the team does not have a winning mentality because neither does mark hughes.
We require a boss with a cocky attitude with a we are the best and we are going to prove it attitude a boss who stipulates targets and puts his neck on the line,the team will then follow because it filters down.Mrk hughes just moans after every defeat, does not set any standards or targets and just does not have a game plan, the only time he has a game plan is when the games finished, when he says we should have done this that and the other.You couyld put the utd team in our colours and we would still lose becasue mark hughes has not got it.
I hope the Dunnie haters are reading this and reflecting that maybe they are wrong to write off one of our best players. I also hope that Joe Hart realises that this is not a reflection on his ability but the boss bringing in someone to help Joe improve even more.
Looking forward to seeing how he fits into our set up. His teaming up with Richard Dunne (hopefully without Micah Richards) should be first class.
Let all be positive like Shay :)
Man yoo fans on their pages currently arguing amongst themselves as to whether george best was irish (Article - United's Greatest Icon) . I've seen it all now!!! Pricesless.
Welcome Shay and please get vocal with the defence. A shouter is something we have lacked since Morrison and is essential imho.
"He is one of the best central defenders that I have ever played behind. It will be a bit strange playing with him at club level but he is a fantastic player. We go back a good few years and we have developed a good understanding over the years for our country."
Funny to read this as I watched Ireland's opening qualifier vs Georgia in Sept last year (played in Germany due to the Russian invasion), and I still remember that game for a handful of comical epsiodes between keeper and defender. Little of the "good understanding" on show that day against a toothless Georgian attack.
Maybe better luck next week vs the same opposition in Ireland!!
In seriousness I rate this signing but also believe Hart has not little wrong this season, people nit-pick certain areas of his game but these are not reasons we are losing games, if anything he has helped us manage draws where we might have lost or won when we might have drawn.
Hart deserves to start vs Boro and I hope Hughes is not looking to drop him for Given at the first sign of an error on his behalf.
Until then Dunne will need a miracle to get back into first team contention, and he can do with Given's company on the bench.
TOE, NEW MILLS
3/02/2009 at 11:06
100% in agreement with you mate,until Hughesless goes we will win nowt.
A great signing this, he's one of - if not the best Keepers in the Prem.
End of.
Whilst i can understand some being a bit concerned that Hart may choose to move on I believe that if he does it will be his loss (not that i want him to go). Although it pains me to say, look at Foster over the other side, still learning his trade behind Van der whatever, is he moaning all the time, not that i am aware of.
Joe Hart is the future England keeper but i think he will only get better working with Shay, he is a fantastic prospect but needs to gain experience. we all know that keepers do not reach their prime at 21 years of age.
I hope that he stays and am confident that he will, Shay will make us more secure at the back which is what we need.
Fingers crossed for a good second half of the season, christ knows we need one.
To lighten my spirits, I think I'll have a party. And I'll invite Andy and TOE, NEW MILLS (both below) amongst others.
Not.
What the hell is all this total negativity on here for christs sake get a grip ,we have a cracking keeper who will at least yell at his defence ,Hart hasnt done much wrong i agree, but there is no communication with his defenders and his distribution and kicking does leave something to be disired, Also all the moaners re signings we have got 4 decent signings that will do the job for us,I am glad we didnt sell anyone like Jono and Sturridge, We will sooner than later be getting some of the injured players back ,we have a good squad to take us onwards and upwards i will be happy with a top ten finish this season then lets see what the summer brings ,Whether Hughes is here or not in the summer thats open to debate but while he is here and our team is playing then get behind them 100 percent ,also i agree with the club not going after Santa Cruz that was crazy money ,we will get a top notch striker in the summer ,now get behind the team and management lets stuff the Boro Ctid.
Lets make the best of this season we are aiming for 6th place for the UEFA Cup which we are in this year already, lets give it everything and hopefully meet and beat Milan in the Final.
City fans lets be positive theres to much moaning and negativity at present lets get behind the team, whatever will be will be so its better to be positive and give them our backing.
Has anyone checked the facts when Nedum plays we seem to be a much better defensive and win record, then when he does'nt, a hidden gem by all means.
TOE NEW MILLS
worthless, negative, doom and gloom from you. What is it with people from new mills? Why dont you just go and top yourself and be done with it?!
We've got a great new keeper in the squad and thats great news! But you want to twist it into a negative!! Pathetic. You're the one with the losing mentality mate!