Shay Given on new Ireland jersey and the worst kit he’s ever had to wear

"You wouldn't wear it to a fancy dress party."

Ireland have released their latest jersey and it has some new features on it that definitely splits people's opinions, particularly the new badge. They also have a new sponsor. With Umbro now out of the picture, Castore are in charge with designing the kits; something that caused some upset given that they also sponsor Rangers. However, former Ireland international Shay Given revealed in an exclusive interview with SportsJOE in association with LeoVegas, that he is actually a fan of the new look.

"It's gone back a bit, back to a bit of old school. The shamrock is highly visible as well, and with St Patrick's Day gone past, it's a famous symbol for a lot of Irish people who have left the country, and of course for those who are still there. "I actually like it, it's difficult to remix the green but I think with the badge and the name getting tweaked a little bit as well - maybe one day we could get the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland playing together like the rugby, who knows?"

Given isn't just a 'yes man' however, and has had to endure his share of bad kits over the years, but one jersey in particular comes to mind when he recalls the worst.

"If you Google my debut, it looked like a six-year-old got six tins of paint and started splashing it all down the front.

"It was a purple colour with literally multiple-coloured things in it, obviously the badge was still on it, but the jersey itself - you wouldn't wear it to a fancy dress party. "That was a tough one for me." Related links:

• Shay Given opens up on Thierry Henry's infamous handball against Ireland
• Shay Given names his starting Ireland goalkeeper for France match
• Shay Given talks about GAA, supporting Donegal and 'sweeper keepers'