How Roberto Mancini tapped me up as Man City's new keeper, plus Ian's not Wright about son Shaun

By Robbie Savage

Published 22:32 11/03/10

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After a busy night on Wednesday, I woke up yesterday to the buzzing of text messages on my mobile.

The first was from Craig Bellamy. “You've wasted your career,” it said. “You should have been a goalie.”

The came one from Manchester United goalkeeping coach Eric Steele, claiming I was now the sixth-best keeper in Wales.

The third was from Roberto Mancini: “We need another goalkeeper at City, how are you fixed?”

I don't want to unsettle Shay Given, so all I'll say to that one is that I'm unavailable for selection. Being a keeper has got to be the most boring job in football.

If you missed it, I had to go in nets for 49 minutes at the Madejski Stadium after my mate Stephen Bywater was taken off injured and our sub Saul Deeney got a red card for bringing down Reading's Jay Tabb.

Our gaffer Nigel Clough told me to take the green jersey and he helpfully explained afterwards: “Robbie wasn't getting a kick in midfield so I thought I'd let him take the goal kicks.”

The first thing I had to do was face a penalty from Shane Long and my commanding presence (think Worzel Gummidge rather than Neville Southall) forced him to put it over the bar... although I had it covered.

Then I pulled off a string of brilliant saves – including a tip-over from a shot which was heading straight for the top corner – and was unlucky to concede a couple as we lost 4-1.

After the whistle everyone wanted to know if I practised goalkeeping in training. I can honestly say that the last time I had the gloves on was when I was a kid, playing on the road at our estate, with the grids as our goalposts and having to stop every couple of minutes when we saw a car coming.

If I can go another 20 years without playing there again that'll be fine by me.

Going in goal was a bit of a novelty but I wouldn't want to do it for a living.

It's so frustrating not being able to have an impact on the game except when you have a save to make.

It's made me think about how crazy it would drive me to be a manager, standing on the touchline right next to the action but not being able to influence it.

It's bloody freezing out there when you're not running about everywhere. It's bloody dull too.

So Shay can sleep easy in his bed tonight.

**

Shaun Wright-Phillips is only 5-foot-5 but he's big enough to look after himself.

So I think Ian Wright was wrong on two counts to say Manchester City were mugging his son off by not giving him a pay rise to match what others at Eastlands are earning.

First, I believe that as a player you shouldn't care how much your team-mates are making. It's not about the other bloke, it's about you.

And second, though I know it's natural to stick up for your flesh and blood, I think this is one battle Shaun would like to have fought for himself.

Shaun's son plays alongside my lad Charlie for Manchester United under-sixes. If he grows up to be even half as good as his dad and grandad, he'll have a great career.

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