SHAY'S PRICELESS

SHAY Given is one of a rare breed at Manchester City – his transfer fee is only in single figures of millions.

At £8m, the Republic of Ireland keeper might not exactly be cheap but the 33-year-old is right up there with the very best and boss Mark Hughes says a conservative ­estimate would judge him to be worth at least 10 points a season.

After Sunday’s goalless draw at St Andrew’s, Birmingham keeper Maik Taylor is in a good position to ­assess where Given stands among his peers between the posts.

He said: “He was always top ­quality when he was at Newcastle but since he has gone to City he seems to have moved on to another level.

“He really is one of the very best in the world. I’m not just talking about the Premier League but the whole shooting match.”

Given’s 55th-minute spot-kick save from James McFadden ensured City took home a point.

Taylor added: “The thing with Shay is that he rarely makes a mistake.

“But add to that the fact that he comes up with a world-class save as well when required tells you ­everything you need to know.”

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