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"That's the sign of a top keeper" - Shay Given hails award-winner Pope
Written by Dan King
He played 463 times for Newcastle United and is widely-regarded as the club's best goalkeeper of the modern era.
And the legendary Shay Given has hailed current Magpies netminder Nick Pope after his amazing reaction stop against Crystal Palace won the Premier League's Castrol Save of the Month award for January.
Pope denied Jean-Philippe Mateta at Selhurst Park to help the Magpies claim a vital point in the capital and earn him a nomination for the award along with Aston Villa's Emiliano Martínez, Arsenal's Aaron Ramsdale, Manchester United's David de Gea, Kepa Arrizabalaga of Chelsea and Lukasz Fabianski of West Ham.
It is the second time that Pope has won the award this season - he also picked up the prize in August for his save from Adam Lallana against Brighton - and Given has been hugely impressed by the England international since he joined United from Burnley in the summer.
"Other players like Bruno (Guimarães), (Sven) Botman, (Alexander) Isak and (Callum) Wilson will get most of the headlines but quietly, under the radar, Nick Pope's signing has been probably the best under the new owners," Given told nufc.co.uk. "He arrived quietly through the door, the fee wasn't massive in the grand scheme of the market at the minute and he hit the ground running in his first few games.
"The fans took to him straight away and he just snowballed from there. He's just got better and better and ten clean sheets in ten games in all competitions (before Tuesday night's win against Southampton) was an unbelievable record.
"You have to thank the team as well, because they defend from the front; Eddie (Howe) always mentions about defending from the front with Wilson and Isak or whoever plays. They've got the balance right and they've got protection at times but big saves like the Crystal Palace save, when called upon he's been absolutely brilliant.
"It was a brilliant save. It was a tight game and Nick didn't have a lot to do in the game. I think that's the sign of a top keeper because it's concentration levels, it's being ready when called upon and it's won Save of the Month for a reason.
"It's such a quick reaction save and the best thing about it is he gets it up and over the bar and away from danger. You can't speak highly enough of him because he didn't have loads to do in the game but it's those key moments, those big moments, when Nick Pope - not just in that game but throughout the whole season - has been absolutely brilliant."
"Nick didn't have a lot to do in the game. I think that's the sign of a top keeper because it's concentration levels, it's being ready when called upon."