RAY Harford knows that in young Irish keeper Shay Given, Blackburn Rovers could soon have a red-hot property on their hands.

He could even turn out to be another million-pound man.

And it's not only the Ewood manager who believes the only way is up for Given.

Swindon Town boss Steve McMahon, who has already signed one Ewood keeper in Frank Talia, is fulsome in his praise of the 19-year-old who helped the County Ground promotion bandwagon along earlier this season.

So too is Sunderland chief Peter Reid, another man who believes Given can offer his team a hand in the right direction.

And it was Reid who revealed how other bosses see the potential worth of a player picked up for nothing by Rovers 18 months ago. The Republic of Ireland under-21 star has certainly done the business on his temporary travels so far.

Seven League games so far out on loan - five at Swindon earlier in the season, two in his current stint at Roker Park - and Given has conceded just one goal.

That isolated strike came while he was playing for Second Division promotion favourites Swindon, who have since taken Talia on a permanent basis for a six-figure fee.

They wouldn't have been able to prise Given away from Ewood, even though his talents would have been welcomed at the County Ground.

Since joining Reid's Roker Park revival, Given has helped Sunderland press their claims for a place in the Premiership with two goalless draws. And he has earned rave reviews in those games.

But Harford reiterated: "He is not for sale.

"We rate him very highly and think he is going to be a very good player.

"It certainly doesn't surprise me that he has done so well at Sunderland."

Given was put straight into the Sunderland first team, ahead of regular keeper Alec Chamberlain, and immediately justified his inclusion with a starring role at Leicester.

It was a big game for the youngster, with a lot of responsibility on his shoulders, but he responded admirably with his only problems surrounding his clearance kicks.

"I was a bundle of nerves early on," he admitted after his Sunderland debut at Filbert Street, certainly the biggest League game in which he has been involved so far.

"But I felt more comfortable the longer the match wore on. I'm not usually a bad kicker but it was probably partly down to the nerves." Another goalless draw against Grimsby and more fine saves - two in crucial one versus one situations - confirmed Given's arrival at Roker where Sunderland were due to stage an important First Division clash with Tranmere tonight.

Reid acknowledges that he is fortunate to have the keeper, who is already well on the way up the international ladder with the Republic of Ireland.

And, while he knows Given is not for sale, don't be surprised if Reid tries to extend the present loan period by at least another month.

"He was recommended to me by Steve McMahon who said if he had a million pounds he would try to buy him," revealed Reid.

"But I already knew how highly Ray Harford rated him at Blackburn."

Sunderland have also taken 19-year-old Manchester United winger Terry Cooke on a month's loan.

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