Lee Clark isn't the only player to have played for both clubs, Given played 17 games for Sunderland on loan from Blackburn in 1996 before turning down a bid from the Mackems and joining Newcastle for £1.5million.
McCarthy: "I think he's been the best in the Premiership for a long time.
There might be a few arguing now with Petr Cech and Edwin van der Sar, but a couple of years ago when they were all scratching around looking at goalkeepers he had been as consistent and as good as anybody.
"He's been very important. He has been all season long, with Ireland as well, instrumental in keeping clean sheets and down at Portsmouth the other week he was just outstanding. That's what you find in the Premier League, though. We had it on Saturday. We had two really great strikes at goal and he (Van der Sar) makes one save from a corner kick from Gary Breen's header and one from a free-kick.
"Sometimes there is not too much between the teams and then there's that one bit of quality, whether it's from a striker who finds a finish or whether it's a goalkeeper that finds a wonder save from somewhere that keeps you in it."