Ireland goalkeeper Shay Given will kiss and make up with World Cup cheat Thierry Henry in London on Sunday afternoon.

Given will bear no malice towards the Frenchman when they meet before Aston Villa’s FA Cup clash with Arsenal at The Emirates.

Euro 2012 hero Given will even offer to shake the hand that cost him his World Cup dream before the pair do battle on a football field for the first time since Paris.

Given has told the Irish Sun that he doesn’t regard Henry as a cheat and will gladly shake hands with him at the Emirates.

His pledge comes over two years after Henry’s handball helped cheat Ireland out of the World Cup finals and the FAI out of a €10million bonanza.

“I certainly don’t hold a grudge against Thierry Henry,” said Given.
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“It was hard at the time for the Ireland players and for the fans. We should have been at the World Cup but you have to move on in life.

“I think some really harsh stuff has been written about Thierry Henry since that game but I don’t follow that line of thought.

“It is water under the bridge now. I blame the referee, not Thierry Henry. He hand-balled it but players do that sometimes.

“The referee and his officials should have picked it up. I don’t blame him.”