Shay Given admits Ruud Gullit's treatment of him at Newcastle United still hurts to this day.

The Dutchman not only got it drastically wrong with his man-management of Alan Shearer, Duncan Ferguson, Rob Lee, Stuart Pearce and John Barnes, but he also scalded Given during a horrendous run of bad calls, failure to communicate properly and a lack of emotional intelligence.

Barnes and Pearce knew their numbers were up on Tyneside, but that didn't stop the ex-England skipper from taking Gullit out in training once or twice! Shearer was informed he'd been dropped for a Tyne-Wear derby when the team appeared on the dressing room wall. Ferguson was then partly blamed for the Sunderland defeat in a Gullit press conference, and Lee was left without a squad number as he was stripped of his beloved number 7 shirt.

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But Given's story is equally as gut-wrenching after Gullit left him hanging until 48 hours before the 1999 FA Cup final before using his goalkeeping coach to break the news he'd been axed. As Eddie Howe faces another big call for the Carabao Cup final 26 years on from Wembley, when Man United beat the Magpies 2-0 with Steve Harper in goal ahead of Given, the Magpies have another intense battle of the glove me going on.

Given - who was exceptional between the posts for 12 years on Tyneside - told Chronicle Live: "It is not easy. The first cup final I played in 1998, the second one I didn't in 1999.

"It was tough because I'd played in all the games leading up to the final. I only found out on Thursday leading up to the final; the manager (Ruud Gullit) never told me to my face. The goalkeeping coach (Terry Gennoe) told me so it was very messy if I am being brutally honest. I was a bit shell-shocked that I wasn't going to play.

"Then, for the 24 hours leading up to the final, you have to put on a brave face. I did that for Steve Harper because we were great friends, and you have to be supportive of the emotions he is going through, excitement, and playing in a final.

"You just have to back him. Steve was great to me over the years, so you have to park your disappointment for the team. That was the biggest thing. I am sure now, 70 years after no domestic trophy, whoever doesn't play will be very supportive of the other one even if deep down you wish you were playing yourself."

Harper and Given battled for the No.1 shirt for years before the ex-Ireland star's exit to Manchester City in 2009. However, Given knows the complex feelings of not getting the nod for a big game. Something either Martin Dubravka or Nick Pope will face next month at Wembley.

Given said: "You want the team to win, but you want the frustration to come to an end. When you have played in every game up to the final like I did, and the semi-final at Old Trafford, and you feel you are one of the reasons you are in a final, to not play in the final is not easy.

"From a psychological point of view. Do you get over it? No, not really we are still talking about it today and it still hurts today. It is just one of those things that you can't change.

"That is one thing Steve and I did say: while we work hard together, we don't pick the team. We never lost our friendship or fell out. The decision was somebody else's we just worked hard to help each other."

Given has trained with both Dubravka and Pope in recent times and has spoken to the current squad behind the scenes after being invited by Howe and Jason Tindall. Left scarred by the Mike Ashley era that tested us all, Given is now a regular visitor to St James' Park again.

As one of the country's leading pundits with Match of the Day and Sky Sports, his views on the game are respected. So far in 2025, he has watched on as Dubravka's career had a sliding doors moment when a move to the Saudi Pro League was blocked by Howe.

Given said: "It's mad because Martin played in the first leg, and that night, it looked like he was making an emotional farewell to the fans. There might have been a few tears, but he was patting the badge as if that was him done. It looked like he was off.

"But things can change and now they are trying to keep him and extend his deal. That week he was going to Al-Shabab and it was pretty much all done. Things in football can change really quickly."

What unfolds between now and the Carabao Cup final will be an intriguing watch with Dubravka in terrific form with eight clean sheets this term and Pope back from a knee injury suffered in December. Nobody knows what assurances were made to Dubravka by Howe behind the scenes and whether playing in the final may have cropped up in conversation as a big Saudi pay day lay on the line.

It is all a far cry from 2023 when incredibly Pope was banned for being sent off in a 2-0 defeat against Liverpool and Dubravka was cup-tied after a loan spell at Man United before being recalled.

The ex-Eire star said: "It's good to see Nick back. It is now difficult to leave Martin out because Eddie has done so well. That is the problem Eddie has now. But again looking back to two years ago, Nick Pope got the red card in the Liverpool game and missed the final through suspension.

"That night it felt like slow motion when he handballed it outside the box. And with Martin cup-tied, Loris Karius made his debut in a final. It is mental how things can change really quickly. A keeper can be third or fourth choice and think they have no chance of playing, and next thing they are in a final at Wembley.

"I don't know. It is not an easy one for me to answer who should or shouldn't play. Are you going to be happy? I don't think so."

Given was not comfortable in saying who should get the nod due to his ties with the goalkeeper's union. But admitted whoever gets benched will be far from chuffed at Wembley.

Given added: "If I didn't play I wasn't happy. I can only talk about my situation. I am sure Nick won't be happy if he doesn't play. I am not sure how Eddie will deal with it but I am sure you journalists will ask him!

"I am not sure how he will answer it but I am sure he will have spoken to both of them privately as well, he may have said something different to them compared to what he does on the outside. But again, it is a good thing to have two keepers of that high level. Some clubs may have keepers where there is a big drop off when the other guy plays.

"You have to give Martin real credit to how he plays and how he performed in Nick's absence, it is a headache but a good headache."

Shay Given is a brand ambassador for sports betting platform CopyBet. Visit CopyBet.com