I just can't take Ireland seriously though. There's such a tone of "what if" in there and constant reminders from him of people's regard for his ability- Bruno Fernandes has moved in near him and became acquainted and Fernandes told Ireland he had a poster of him as a kid, Anelka saying good things about him, ditto Paul Bosvelt, being embraced by Joan Laporta after a friendly with Barcelona, being chased by United, Spurs, Arsenal and, later, Valencia and Villareal. I can't understand what goes on in his mind.
His son gets a mention:
Joshua, his eldest son, is now an England under-16 international at Stoke who has clubs from abroad, as well as the Premier League, chasing him. Jacob, who wanders into this interview in his own England shirt, is already so dedicated to being a footballer that, at the age of 12, he measures his calories intake. And Ireland feels relieved that the culture of the dressing room today is not what he had to experience 15 years ago.
As far as i'm aware, Joshua's mother is Irish and living in Ireland but has grown up in England with Stephen and his new wife.
It would be a difficult one for the FAI to pursue unless bridges were re-built with Ireland. That said, there is a marked change in the management and coaches from underage to senior that would surely make that process easier.
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