Manchester City FC are delighted to announce the signing of Shay Given from Newcastle United for an undisclosed fee.

The 32-year-old goalkeeper has put pen to paper on a four-and-a-half year contract, and he moves back to the north-west where he started his Premier League career with Blackburn Rovers in 1994.

Unable to dislodge Tim Flowers at Ewood Park, Shay impressed in loan spells at Swindon Town and Sunderland before Kenny Dalglish, who had brought him to Rovers from Celtic, signed him for the Magpies.

Shay made over 450 appearances, including 354 Premier League starts, during a distinguished Newcastle career and he has amassed 91 caps for the Republic of Ireland to become the most capped Irish international goalkeeper.

That makes it four signings during the January transfer window for City, with Shay following in the footsteps of Wayne Bridge, Craig Bellamy and Nigel de Jong. He will wear the number 37 jersey.

Mark Hughes is delighted with the deal, and he told us: "I have said for a long time that we need the experience of a keeper like Shay. I am delighted that we have been able to acquire such an accomplished keeper, and one that is so highly regarded by everyone in the Premier League.

"We are getting a very good keeper, and the experience he has will help the two outstanding young keepers that we have here in Joe and Kasper. I am looking for them all to grow as a group, and it's important that we have that influence of a senior keeper.

"I have had a good talk with him about where we expect to be in the future. From a football point of view, and a club point of view, it's an easy thing to sell because we know we are going in the right direction. Players want to be part of that."