Given’s UK media company nets higher profits

Accumulated profits at company owned by former Irish goalkeeper Shay Given more than doubled in year to the end of last March

Goalkeeper Shay Given pictured at a Republic of Ireland training session at Lansdowne Road during his playing career. Photograph: Eric Luke
Goalkeeper Shay Given pictured at a Republic of Ireland training session at Lansdowne Road during his playing career. Photograph: Eric Luke

Accumulated profits at a UK media company owned by former Irish international goalkeeper Shay Given more than doubled to £232,457 (€258,406) in the 15 months to the end of last March, newly filed accounts reveal.

Profits increased by £127,270 during that period, while its cash pile grew by £21,020 and stood at £129,041 at the end of March.

Given, who is Ireland's second-most capped player after Robbie Keane, is the sole employee, director and shareholder of Eportia Ltd. The company was set up in 2012, when the goalkeeper was playing for Aston Villa.

The Donegal native retired from international football for a second time in July 2016, having won 134 caps. He finished his club career with Stoke City at the end of the 2016-17 season.

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The registered office of Eportia Ltd is in Derby, where Given is currently working as goalkeeper coach for English Championship side Derby County.

The 15-month period saw the company’s accumulated profits increase to £232,457 from £105,187 during the previous financial period.

It was owed £129,041 by debtors at the end of the accounting period, while £84,543 remained payable to creditors of the firm - £32,614 of which related to corporation tax.

Given played for a number of clubs including Newcastle United, Manchester City and Sunderland during a career that spanned 23 years. He played for the Republic at the 2002 World Cup and the European Championships in 2012.

He was also selected in the squad for Euro 2016 but didn’t appear in any of the team’s four matches at the tournament.