Local lad doing well?

Did Rams get any money for this lad? Seems to me he's goin to play for his name eventually......as one former Rambler is ending in Manchester is this the new era????????

"Stephen Ireland was as shell-shocked as everyone else at the City of Manchester Stadium in the aftermath of Bolton's smash-and-grab raid.
The 19-year-old came on as a substitute with 10 minutes to go to make his senior bow for the Blues, and he was only denied the dream start of a goal on debut by a superb Jussi Jaaskelainen save.

'Robbed' was the word floating around on Sunday evening, and speaking to mcfc.co.uk in the tunnel area the young Irishman confirmed that the team were feeling the same as every City fan in the stadium.

"To be honest we feel robbed, we've attacked them for all the game but it wasn't meant to be. I guess the referee was right in his decision for handball, but we feel very hurt, it was harsh. We deserved a lot more than the loss, even a draw would have been unfair."

Stephen, originally from Cork and a former player with Roy Keane's old club, Cobh Ramblers, echoed the words of his manager when looking forward to City's next games against Doncaster and Newcastle.

"On Wednesday and Saturday we have to get wins, especially against Doncaster, if we get that win we're back on our streak again. We need a good result and a good stong team performance to get us on our feet again."

Although only on for 10 minutes, Stephen made a good impression on his first team debut, displaying the kind of form that has brought him three goals for the reserves this season. And, as he describes, he was so close to capping his appearance off in the best possible way.

"When I hit it, I saw the line of the ball and I really thought it was going to hit the back of the net, but out of nowhere I saw his hand come across and take it! He is a very, very good 'keeper."

Ireland broke a bone in his wrist in the dying moments of the Olympiacos friendly , and although still sporting a bandage he confirmed that the injury is nearly fully healed.

"It has improved an awful lot, there's still a slight twinge there but I think in a week or two it should be fully recovered.""

Ramblers din't get anything for him as he moved to City at around 14 or so, if Man City sell him on then I'm sure that Ramblers schoolboy's would get a percentage in the same way that Crumlin benefitted from Robbie Keane's move from Coventry? to Leeds.
I am open to correction on this but I think the Robbie keane transfer opened the way for this.

He played for Springfield I thought? Although Ramblers would probably benefit now that they are in partnership with Springers.

nah he was with ramblers. brilliant player.

ya very good player!

I know Eddie used to come on here, good to hear from him again in this article about young Steven in the Indo. This development could be just what Ireland (the country) need amid all this doom about Roy retiring. Let's hope he irons out differences with Kerr and Pearce can shelter him from the media.

As Manchester welcomes another Corkman to its football stage, the man who discovered Roy Keane backs youngster Stephen Ireland to make his mark, writes Gerry McDermott
THE Corkman who discovered Roy Keane reckons that Stephen Ireland will be his successor as the darling of Leeside.

Ireland has already shown his Rebel Rage with his self-imposed international exile following a bust-up with Brian Kerr in 2002 and now he is displaying his footballing talents on the Premiership stage.

A product of the same Manchester City academy that produced the likes of Stephen Elliott, Willo Flood, Glenn Whelan and Paddy McCarthy, Ireland has bucked the trend by making a massive first team impact at Eastlands.

He made his first team debut on September 18 when he came on as a substitute against Bolton Wanderers and then started the Carling Cup game against Doncaster Rovers three days later followed by another Premiership appearance from the bench against Newcastle on September 24. Unfortunately for Ireland, City lost all three games.

On Sunday last he was included in the centre of the Manchester City midfield from the start and played the entire game before walking off with the man of the match award and having the praise of his manager and team-mates ringing in his ears.

Watching the Everton game back in Cobh was Eddie O'Rourke, who is now the manager of the Cork Inter League Youth team but was previously head of youth development at Cobh Ramblers and the man responsible for bringing Roy Keane from Rockmount to St Colman's Park.

Keane subsequently went to Nottingham Forest and became one of the greatest Irish players ever to grace the English game.

A few years ago O'Rourke watched Ireland making his way through the under-age teams at Cobh's nursery club Springfield before his move to Manchester City when he was 16.

He admitted that watching Ireland on Sunday against Everton was like the day Keane made his debut for Nottingham Forest against Liverpool.

"I was just knocked out by his performance," enthused O'Rourke. "Stephen had to go away and he is now coming through at 19. He is a late developer like Roy and he has the potential to go on to be the new Keane.

"I watched him in the 91st minute of the game on Sunday and he was still going from box to box. When they got the last goal he was up there," said O'Rourke. "He has done the easy bit. He now needs to keep his head down and keep away from the press. Stuart Pearce was asked about his performance after the game and he said 'all my players are equal'. He is going to keep Stephen's feet on the ground."

While Keane would be renowned for his crunching tackles, Ireland is a more creative player and possesses excellent vision as well as the ability to pick out precise passes.

England international Danny Mills admitted that Ireland's talent has everybody at Manchester City excited.

"Stevie has shown some fantastic touches," said full back Mills, who struck a fantastic goal in City's victory on Sunday. "He opened them (Everton) up a few times and picked them off," he added.

Ireland sees himself as an attacking midfielder either playing in the hole behind the front two or in centre midfield.

"I love going forward in the final third when runners are making their move. I'm just trying to pick them off. I like playing 'in the hole' but playing in centre midfield was a bonus for me and I was very happy there," he said after Sunday's game.

Ireland admits that he is ahead of schedule in terms of his career progression but O'Rourke reckons that this is down to Pearce's management skills, which he started at the City Ground in Nottingham under one of the most respected bosses in football history.

"Pearce learnt from (Brian) Clough, the master, when he was a player at Nottingham Forest and the one thing he picked up was the ability to see the raw talent in a player. There is no use players bursting a gut in training and not getting a chance," said O'Rourke.

He added that the passion for football in his part of the world has made it possible for a situation where one Corkman is preparing to exit the footballing scene in the red-half of Manchester at the same time as another is announcing his arrival in blue.

"It is an amazing situation that the man I brought through is going out the back door and here is a young fellow from Cobh bursting at the front door to get through," said O'Rourke.

"There is a grá down here for football which is frightening and it is great to see the raw talent coming through."

Coventry to Inter ya mean. Does that only happen for one transfer or is it paid out with every change of club?

Coventry to Inter?????

Ireland agrees new deal


RISING star Stephen Ireland has verbally agreed a new two-year deal with Manchester City.

The 18-year-old midfielder has recently broken into the Blues starting line-up and made his fifth appearance of the season in Sunday’s 2-1 win over West Ham.

The Cork-born player is a product of the City Academy which has also spawned the likes of Joey Barton, Nedum Onuoha, Lee Croft and Bradley Wright-Phillips, all current members of Stuart Pearce’s Premiership squad.



Ireland agreed the contract with City’s chief executive Alistair Mackintosh at Wednesday night’s reserve-team win over Bury and it is only a matter of time before it is signed.

Ireland inks new deal


STEPHEN Ireland has signed a new four-year contract with Manchester City.

The deal, which was agreed in principle last week, will keep the 19-year-old at Eastlands until 2009 and confirms his reputation as one of the most promising young players on City's books.

Ireland has made his big breakthrough this season after Blues boss Stuart Pearce took the Cork-born midfielder on the club's pre-season tour to Thailand.
After making his first senior appearance in the home defeat to Bolton last month, Ireland has been an ever-present, making six appearances in total and is expected to be part of the side which faces Aston Villa on Monday.

"I am delighted with the contract," Ireland told www.mcfc.co.uk

"I spoke to the gaffer and said that I wanted to stay as long as I possibly could. To get an extension through to 2009 is absolutely brilliant for me. I want to stay here, keep playing and keep proving myself."