Given issues ultimatum to Mancini

Shay Given’s tenure at Manchester City may be at an end after the Republic of Ireland goalkeeper issued an ultimatum to manager Roberto Mancini to pick him for their Premier League opener against Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.

Speaking at Ireland’s training session in Malahide this morning, the 34-year-old laid it on the line that if Joe Hart is picked ahead of him that he will consider his position at Eastlands.

He said: “We're both at a stage where we want to play football and if I don’t start I’ll sit down with the club next week and see where my future is. Maybe vice-versa with Joe as we both feel we should be playing.

“I’m at a stage where I need to be playing. I’m 34 and don't have millions of years left. The manager will decide who he wants to start with on Saturday and you would imagine that will be who he wants to play in most of the games this season.

“Hopefully I’ll play on Saturday and whatever decision the manager makes I’ll respect that.”

Given admitted that he would consider a loan move if Hart gets the nod to start the season, but still sees a future at the club.

“Ideally I would like to stay at the club because it's a big club and an ambitious club, with fantastic owners and I want to be part of that, that's why I joined in the first place.

"Possibly, if I didn't start, then there could be a loan and then I'd come back and see where that takes me."

The Donegal man missed the end of last season at the club after injuring his shoulder, with Mancini declining to bring back Hart from a loan spell at Birmingham. He returned to Eastlands over the summer, with Mancini turning down an offer from Sunderland to take the 23-year-old England goalkeeper on loan this season.

Meanwhile , Richard Dunne, John O'Shea and Kevin Doyle sat out this morning’s training session ahead of Wednesday’s friendly international against Argentina, a game that Aiden McGeady will miss as he sorts out his move to Spartak Moscow from Celtic.