![]() His set piece deliver is consistently dangerous, his link up play is also eye catching. He was always a great passer of the ball, but now he makes more bursts into the box and his eye for goal has really sharpened up. The constant linking of his employers to top quality players seems to have become a driving force behind his play. He’s been one of the best midfielders regardless of age this season. He should return to International football soon though, it would be a shame for such a footballing talent to not waste the international career and caps his talent deserves, but ultimately only Ireland can make the decision. One thing however I could like to rant about is that fact that Superman did not win Young Players of the Year, but Ashley Young did? He has guaranteed himself a place in every starting 11 and whoever City manage to buy in the summer, there is no doubt that the little shiny bald head of Stephen Ireland will line up beside them in nearly every game! In a season where there was such massive expectation from City fans, someone that has stuck by the club through his tough spells has emerged this season as the star. Ireland has proven that regardless of wealth and club size in football there is still a place for nurturing youth talent and raising academy players to levels that would not have been dreamt about previously. If City have European success ina few seasons and build a foundation that will attract high quality stars to Eastlands, then Ireland is one of the players that has cemented his place in and around all the high salaries and price tags. I think as far as the manager goes, he’s the full package.” In some games we are unstoppable and other games we don’t even get off the bus. That’s important for players and for the stability of the club. He wants to be involved in every area of the club. Ireland stands at the helm of a brand new Manchester City adventure and he lays down the roots of his success to the manager, statements that in my opinion have saved Hughes’ job. The scale of what Ireland has achieved this season is marked by his own comments. He has worked exceptionally hard from day one and is reaping the benefits now and so are the club and the fans, after a very good performance in the UEFA Cup. He worked so hard during the summer and came back with a real determination to show that he wanted to be part of what we are doing. He has put in some fantastic performances.” Mark Hughes, recently said “Stephen has arguably been our best player all season. He now has the ability to play any pass, create space and bring the best players into the game, especially at home. These are all attributes that when Ireland started out he could not do on a consistent basis, which was why we never saw him play much at a young age. His development as a player is actually unbelievable. ![]() What Ireland has managed to do this season is perform at a high level consistently, meaning he has completely over shadowed Brazilian Robinho and even been tipped to win the club’s player of the year. He is now one of the best players at a club whose future is a combination of excitement and intensity. Stephen Ireland has come a long way from his Manchester City debut when he came on for Joey Barton during a 1-0 loss against Bolton in September 2005. ![]()
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