Source: Team_Talk
Given has Hart for goalkeeper battle
Manchester City goalkeeper Shay Given has warned young pretender Joe Hart he faces a battle for the No 1 jersey at Eastlands this term.[LNB] Hart has returned from an impressive season-long loan at Birmingham last term ready to challenge Given's position as first choice at City.[LNB]But Given, who resumes full training on Monday after rehabilitation following shoulder surgery, is confident he can remain Roberto Mancini's No 1.[LNB]The 34-year-old told the Daily Star Sunday: "My aim is to be back fit and playing by the start of the season. Things are progressing well. I may have to miss one or two pre-season friendlies but I am not far away at all.[LNB]"Joe is a top young goalkeeper, a real talent and I saw what he could do before he left for Birmingham. But he's back now and it will be good to work with him again. [LNB]"He is one for the future and no doubt now that he is back at Manchester City he has big ambitions." [LNB]If Hart fails to take Given's No 1 jersey, there is speculation he will want to jump ship to bolster his England chances after failing to feature behind first Robert Green and then David James at the World Cup.[LNB]But Hart is putting all transfer talk to one side, simply focusing on his career at Eastlands, where he has been since 2006.[LNB]He said: "City are a club I have been at for a long time now and a club I think a lot of. I still have to wait and see how it works out there.[LNB]"But the decision on my future is not up to me. I'm just a player. It's not down to me at the end of the day. I'm contracted to City and that's where I'm going back to. That's the team I'm part of. It's as simple as that."[LNB]He added: "I intend to fight for the England No 1 jersey. That's all I want to do.[LNB] "I thought David James did great in South Africa and it's a shame it turned out how it did. We went out there to give our all and wanting to progress in the tournament but in the end it wasn't the case. [LNB]"We went to South Africa to do a job but unfortunately it didn't work out that way."
