Aston Villa goalkeeper has praised Richard Dunne for his "immense" performance against West Bromwich Albion.
The 32-year-old returned to action after two months out with a broken collarbone to help his team keep a clean sheet at the Hawthorns.
Given believes that his Irish international teammate is key to the club's hopes of survival and said that he is a shining example to the youngsters.
"It was amazing to have Richard Dunne back in the side," said Given. "He had only trained a couple of times. For him to play was beyond the call of duty. His performance against Albion showed how immense Richard is for the football club.
"He is a leader on the pitch and in the dressing room. Even just seeing him with the captain's armband on gave everyone a huge lift before the game. We are delighted to have him back. It has been a long time since he played and his performance was immense.
"The young lads look up to him. We've had quite a few youngsters in the team over the last few months. They see a performance from Dunney like that and they know that is the standard they have got to strive for."
Villa are three points above the drop zone with two games remaining.
Michael Penkman
