There are two conclusions to be made about Stephen Ireland based on his career so far;
1. He is a talented player with a high level of technical ability
2. He’s a bit of plonker.
Stephen Ireland’s form for Manchester City in the 2008/09 season suggested he was going to be a top player. In 34 Premier League starts he netted 9 times and notched up 9 assists. His performances that season certainly drew some attention and it’s fair to say that he stood out in that Manchester City side. The dramatic rise from fringe player to key man was matched however by his plight to ‘bench-warmer’ and sealed with his transfer to Aston Villa. Even so, I like many others thought it would be a good move. Surely the greater opportunities he would have in the first team at Villa would see him recapture his past form and yet very quickly Ireland has become the forgotten man.
His loss of form or more accurately its complete absence during his time at Aston Villa can be put down to a few things. There was uncertainty about the management – it wasn’t Gerard Houllier who brought him in. He also struggled with a few niggles, hamstring problems and the likes, something that has seemingly continued into the new season. However, it appears that the blame has to rest mostly with Stephen. Houllier talked of how he trained badly and showed a poor level of effort. When he moved on loan to Newcastle in January his lethargy persisted…well at least on the pitch.
While at the north east club he was fined for breaking the curfew. He was spotted (and photo’d) in bars and clubs the night before a game. It hasn’t been the first time Stephen Ireland has shown a real lack of professionalism. There are several notable examples of Ireland ‘playing-up’. Perhaps most infamous was his insistence that family members had died (firstly one gran and then the other or something like that) when in fact they were alive and kicking. He did this in order to avoid staying on international duty. He also dropped his shorts in celebration of a goal against Sunderland. Who knew it was that exciting to score against Sunderland?