Source: Man_City
Given salutes 'professional' Bridge
Wayne BridgeWayne Bridge has been the perfect professional in the midst of the storm surrounding his private life. That is the verdict of Blues keeper Shay Given, who said the left back had not allowed the media spotlight over his former girlfriend Vanessa Perroncel's affair with former team-mate John Terry to affect his form. Bridge announced on Thursday that he was not making himself available for England duty, either for next week's friendly against Egypt or this summer's World Cup, despite Fabio Capello refusing to close the door on him. And that clear indication of the strength of Bridge's feeling about Terry's actions has meant that all eyes will be trained on the clash between Chelsea and City at Stamford Bridge, especially when the two men are expected to shake hands ahead of the game. Given, proud to have racked up 102 caps for the Republic of Ireland, understands more than most the heart-wrenching decision which Bridge has taken. He refused to talk about Bridge's decision to quit England, or the Terry affair, saying those matters were "private and personal." But he hailed the player's focus throughout the saga, which began last month when Bridge was still recovering from a knee injury. "Wayne has had some bad luck with injury but he just wants to play football above everything else," said Given. "He is a professional footballer and he will give his all for the club, which is all you can ask of him. There's been no indication of it affecting him - he has been fine." There had been a suggestion that manager Roberto Mancini might take Bridge out of the firing line but Given indicated otherwise - and the Italian needs his strongest team on the pitch against the Premier League leaders. "Wayne is looking forward to the game tomorrow and to hopefully getting a result for Manchester City," said the keeper. England boss Capello is hoping Bridge may still change his mind. "It surprised me but I respect the decision of all the players," he said. "But the door is always open for him. "We have time, there's three months until I will decide my final squad for South Africa." Should City play Bridge against Chelsea? Have your say. | Submit Comments| Comments (25)| PrintWhat's this? Emaildel.icio.usDiggredditFacebookStumbleUponNewsvineGoogle BookmarksNetscapeTechnoratiWindows LiveYahoo! MyWebMa.gnolia
