Stephen Ireland

At 37 years old, Stephen Ireland has this physical status:

Club career

Ireland's father, Michael, was born in Cork, County Cork, Ireland, and began his career in Cobh, playing junior football for the Cobh Ramblers, a team his father played for before. Ireland had trials with a variety of British clubs, but many were turned off because of his Osgood-Schlatter disease, which he suffered from in his mid-teens. He eventually moved to Manchester City, where he first arrived as a fifteen-year-old in August 2001.

He joined Manchester City, an English club, in 2005 at the age of 18. He appeared in a number of pre-season friendlies and made his professional debut against Bolton Wanderers on September 18, 2005, when he was recalled as an 81st-minute replacement. On September 21, 2005, he made his first competitive appearance against Doncaster Rovers. On his first Premier League appearance against Everton on October 2, 2005, he received the Man of the Match award. He then started training for City, earning him a new deal to keep him at the club until 2009. He appeared in around half of Manchester City's games this season, bringing the season's total number to 16 starts and 12 substitute appearances. Ireland scored his first Premier League goal for City on December 26, a left footed volley from 20 yards. In a crucial 1–0 win over Sheffield United's Bramall Lane, the goal was the only goal. Ireland closed the scoring for Manchester City in a 3–1 away victory over Preston North End in the FA Cup's fifth round on Sunday, with a spectacular volley from outside the area.

Ireland defeated Sunderland 1–0 home victory after starting the 2007–08 Premier League season with a volley. During the goal court's festivity, Ireland cut his shorts to reveal a pair of underpants sporting the Superman logo, but the FA decided that a warning would be the correct option of action. He scored against Reading in November to keep Manchester City's home record at 100 percent. He was suspended in the 2–1 loss at Tottenham Hotspur and received a three-match suspension two weeks later. In the reverse fixture, Ireland scored a goal, leading to Manchester City's 2–1 home victory over Spurs. In the 2–3 loss to Fulham, he scored his final goal of the season on a nice kick. He just happened to the ball outside the left side of the penalty box and curved it over Kasey Keller into the top right corner. He had four goals in the 2007–08 season.

In the 3–0 win over West Ham United, he returned to the first team as a leader and team. He had two assists in the game, and Elano had a chance to strike home. In the 3–0 away win at Sunderland, he set his record in the 3–0 victory. In a 2–2 draw at Newcastle United on October 20, he scored again. In the second league match against Arsenal, he scored both goals in a 2–2 draw at Hull City on November 16th and opened the scoring. Ireland defeated Everton by netting in a 2–1 victory, taking their total number to 13 in a memorable season for the Irishman.

He was named Manchester City's Senior Player of the Year in 2009 and, as a result, he was offered a new five-year contract, keeping him at the club until 2014. He later became the year's Best Manchester Player of the Year. With an opening day goal at Blackburn Rovers, he began his account in the 2009-10 season.

Mark Hughes was fired as boss in December 2009 and was replaced by Inter Milan boss Roberto Mancini. Ireland spent the majority of the second half of the season as a replacement due to Nigel de Jong's form, Vincent Kompany, and new signing Patrick Vieira. He only scored three goals before Mancini's arrival in the 2009–2010 season. Ireland must "change their head" in order to play, according to Mancini.

Ireland was supposed to be moved with loan to Aston Villa in exchange for James Milner, but the contract was delayed when he asked Manchester City to commit £2 million. The agreement had been completed on August 17, 2010, and he was at Bodymoor Heath Training Ground in Aston Villa for a medical. Milner's part exchange was £8 million in a part exchange. Ireland has signed a four-year contract with the Midlands club. Ireland condemned his former club after finishing the transfer, saying that its youth players were "money-obsessed" and that "I guess James Milner must believe the grass is greener on the other side." Because it's certainly not that way, he'll get a shock soon." In an away fixture at Newcastle United, Ireland made his debut for the club on his 24th birthday. When Villa was defeated 6–0, Ireland got off and played for the full duration of the game. However, Ireland had been kicked from the Villa team before leaving the country without a single word spoken, with manager Gérard Houllier openly admitting that he had to work harder at his game by the end of October 2010.

On the last day of the transfer window, on January 31, 2011, Ireland joined Newcastle United on loan until the end of the season, with the intention of a permanent contract. When he arrived in Newcastle, Ireland suffered a string of setbacks, including a volatile nightclub brawl with teammate Leon Best the night before a match, he was still injured. He made his Manchester United debut in a 0–0 draw on April 19, 2011 in a 0–0 draw, marking him as a 65th-minute replacement. However, Ireland was forced to miss the remainder of the season after only playing 49 minutes of football for the Tyneside club, and was back to Aston Villa.

Despite having a disappointing first term at the club, Ireland declared his intention to stay at Aston Villa and fight for his place in the team under new manager Alex McLeish. Ashley Young, who had recently joined Manchester United, was also confirmed that he would take the number 7 jersey from him. After being spotted on Twitter with shisha pipe, Alex McLeish advised Ireland to make headlines on the pitch. Ireland scored his first goal for Villa in a 3–1 away victory over Chelsea on December 31, 2011, scoring the opener and assisting the third goal in a man of the match winning effort. Ireland was named As the season's Supporters' Player of the Year by some outstanding performances.

During Villa's 4–1 loss away at Southampton on September 22, where he had assisted with a Darren Bent goal, the team got off to a promising start to the 2012–2013 season. Paul Lambert, the company's boss, announced that it would keep him out for "a few weeks." For 'football reasons,' Paul Lambert left Ireland out of his squad for the second half of the 2012–13 season.' Ireland was heavily linked with a transfer out of the team and began training with the reserves at the end of the season.

Ireland signed Stoke City on loan for the 2013–14 season, which will see him team up with Mark Hughes on September 2nd. After joining Stoke, Ireland, Ireland expressed the hope that his loan spell would help him revive his work, adding that "It's been really frustrating as I've been working hard, and it's been difficult for me not being on the team bus playing games." I'm just so thankful to Stoke's chief for giving me the opportunity to re-establish my career. I have absolutely got a point to prove, and I'm dying to get back to the swing of things. This is a huge opportunity, but I'm still only 27 years old. It's a crucial year for me to play week in and week out.

Ireland defeated Stoke City in a 0–0 draw on September 14, 2013 against his former club Manchester City. In a 2–0 League Cup victory over Tranmere Rovers, Ireland scored his first goal for Stoke on September 25, 2013. He scored against Swansea City in a 3–3 draw on November 9, 2013. On January 14, 2014, he made his transfer permanent. Ireland signed Stoke's latest three-year contract on April 15, 2014, keeping him revolving until the summer of 2017. Ireland played 29 times in 2013-2014, when Stoke finished in ninth place in ninth place.

In the FA Cup against Wrexham on January 4, 2015, Ireland scored twice. In the next round against Rochdale, he scored once more. Following a blow by Hull City defender Maynor Figueroa, Ireland suffered a deep cut on his calf on February 28, 2015.

In 2015-16, Hughes overlooked Ireland again, making 16 appearances of which only three were official and none of whom were in the Premier League. He sustained a broken leg in preparation on May 10, 2016, leaving him sidelined for a long time. Due to injuries, Ireland did not complete the 2016–17 season. He signed a six-month contract extension in July 2017 to allow him to continue his recovery. In December, there would be another contract extension until the end of the season. Ireland made just five appearances in 2017-18 as Stoke suffered relegation to the EFL Championship. At the end of the season, Stoke had him released.

On October 9, 2018, Ireland joined Bolton Wanderers in the EFL Championships. Ireland's Development Squad lost Bolton on December 20, 2018. Despite being refused a match by mutual agreement, the player did play two matches for Bolton's Development Squad. Ireland said in June 2020 that he regretted joining Bolton because the company was going through financial hardship, but assumed he did not play because he had earned playing money in his contract.

International career

Ireland was represented by Ireland at under-15, under-16, and under-17 levels, but when called up to the under-18 level, he had a rivalry with coach Brian Kerr, who was left out of the team for a match in Ireland's home town of Cobh and was advised to watch the match from the stands. The team lost the match 4–0, and Kerr suggested that Ireland will be involved in the next match in Cork City. When Ireland was kicked out, Kerr begged him to return to his team, but Kerr informed him that he would never play for the Republic of Ireland while Kerr was in charge.

Steve Staunton replaced Kerr as Ireland's boss in January 2006. Ireland received a senior call up for the first time in Staunton's first squad for a match against Sweden. In the match, Ireland was on a replacement team, with John O'Shea replacing him. In a 5–2 loss to Cyprus on October 7, he scored his first international goal. Ireland saved the Republic of Ireland from a draw with San Marino on February 7th, 2007 with a last-minute injury time goal. The final score was 2–1.

He scored his first goal in Croke Park against Wales on March 24, 2007. This was his third international goal in fewer than four matches. On September 8, 2007, he scored against Slovakia in Bratislava.

Coach Steve Staunton told Ireland of a phone call from his grandmother in September 2007, right after his immediate aftermath of a Republic of Ireland international match and days before their crunch match against the Czech Republic. Staunton quickly agreed to Ireland's compassionate leave on those grounds, so a private jet was chartered for his return.

However, the media soon discovered that Ireland's grandmother was not dead, at which time Ireland declared that it was his paternal grandmother who died, but reporters also learned that Ireland's paternal grandmother was still alive, and her relatives had threatened to sue one newspaper that reported her death. Ireland changed his tale once more, adding that one of his grandfathers had divorced, and that it was his second wife who had died. That was also discovered to be untrue.

Ireland finally came out with the truth, admitting to inventing a reason to leave the Irish team in order to visit his mother in Cork, who, he said, had a miscarriage. "I decided at that point that I must tell the truth and admit to telling lies," Ireland said. "I'm now aware that it was a big mistake to say that my grandmothers died, and I deeply regret it."

Ireland may make himself available for a call-up to the national squad to face Georgia on February 11, 2009, according to rumors. The player's name was not included in the squad's announcement on 19 January, but Liam Brady took the opportunity to inform the public that he and Traktortoni had already reached an understanding with them about when he wanted to play again, and that no contact had been made after the player's release.

It was revealed on 19 February 2009 that Ireland had intimatedly to Manchester City colleague Shay Given that he would like to represent Ireland at the World Cup in South Africa in 2010 and that a return to the international fold was likely, but when the Irish squad to face Bulgaria on March 28 and Italy on April 1 was announced, it was then omitted. Trattoni said at the accompanying press conference that he did not expect Ireland's return because he had been withdrawn and reluctant to look at the Ireland manager in the eye months before.

Ireland said in May 2009 that he would not return to the national team because it's impossible not to, but I don't think I'll ever go back." He reiterated that he would not return to Ireland in August 2010, but I don't believe it at all." It doesn't make me feel like I should go back to play again. That question has been answered for me, and it won't change my mind."

Ireland's Bruton, who played in Dublin, told Ireland on March 30 that after Euro 2012, he would return to international football. In May 2014, after failing to contact Ireland by Republic of Ireland boss Martin O'Neill, Ireland's agent notified the FAI that he would not be available for the friendly matches against Turkey, Italy, Costa Rica, and Portugal.

In an interview in 2019, the player explained that the reason he never returned to play for Ireland was to look after his children.

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