Stephen Ireland is set to leave Villa in January after manager Gerard Houllier confirmed the midfielder wants to quit the club.
The 24-year-old joined Villa in August as part of the £24m transfer of James Milner to Manchester City.
But Ireland has not settled in the West Midlands and told Houllier at showdown talks this week that he wants to leave – just four months into a four-year contract.
Celtic are hoping to take Ireland on loan, although potential suitors for a permanent deal may be put off by Villa’s £8m asking price for the playmaker.
“Stephen has told his agent that he wants to go in January,” said Houllier.
“I’m not convinced about that. But once a player says he wants to go, he can go.
“There’s a discrepancy between what I see in training and what I see in the game.
“I told his agent that’s the only problem, he’s got to sort that out.
“I like the man, I like the player. He’s got some skills, he’s got an eye f*or a pass but he’s got to adapt to modern football as well.
“I am quite patient but it has been a huge shock for him coming from Manchester City.”
Houllier also refuted reports of a training ground bust-up with Richard Dunne, but admitted some of his players had been “whining, moaning and complaining” over some of the changes he has made since taking over the job.
“I took a football decision not to play him (Dunne),” said Houllier.
http://www.expressandstar.com/sport/...e-aston-villa/
Tanks for posting that Tricks...
Whew. You know what I thought after reading that if I'm being honest?
He is only 24.
Crazy no doubt. Is it me or does it seem like he has been around longer than George Best's liver?
Also I was thinking the bust up was with R Dunne and SI which I am glad it is not...
But lads he is only 24. That means he acted nuts at like age 20. Surely those of us at my age ripe old of 33 can remember making mistakes. Lord knows, I am perfect. Yeah right. And surely those older can as well. (I hope.)
Surely, somehow he can have fun and play for his namesake, moving forward.
He is 24 and has more kids than Mike Tyson. I'm not being funny there.
He will mature soon and I think he could help us. But Celtic? What?!!!
Most people on here are tired of talking about this. So anyone who is going to give the stick "I hate SI. Dont bring him back." All due respect but keep it. He may be a jerk just as soon as I know how you feel.
Lets bring him back, it would take a modest internet campaign no?
I would be willing to front $$$.
PM me if you think a specific web site could help bring hm back into the fold.
Last edited by Crosby87; 21/12/2010 at 12:51 AM.
No Somos muchos pero estamos locos.
Yeah, Ireland was just a kid when he was acting like a twit so we should give him another chance if he's willing to come back. Great player on his day. He's off to West Ham last I heard.
IMO being young isnt an excuse for stupidity. Ireland has consistently shown his character by his actions and comments.
I don't like him much and his track record of antipathy towards playing for Ireland preceded his wealth, but being a multi-millionaire spoilt brat isolated from reality at 20 isn't exactly a character forming situation.
Simon Barnes, referring to Tevez and others, wrote a great article in yesterday's (London) Times on footballers all being tossers and their wealth just drawing out the tosser in them.
The top professionals in the game are businesses in their own right. A player like Tevez is a strong brand name offering services that clubs want to buy into. A (successful) business is self-serving. The self-serving business that is Tevez will make him a tosser in the eyes of outside observers. So is Tevez's wealth drawing out the tosser in him? - of course it is, it's a natural progression in the sucess of his business as it is interlinked with him as a person. He needs now to employ a PR department a la David Beckham, that's if he cares about how the outside world perceives him.
With regards to Stephen Ireland, the chap has a personality disorder. You can look at the fall out he had with Kerr in his teens and you can draw parallels to that in his later years. Wealth hasn't changed Stephen Ireland. He has always valued himself highly. The problem is he has always valued himself highest of all so when things aren't going his way, his inherent personality disorder reveals itself.
Anybody looking for anything positive in a pro athlete beyond his/her skill is bound to be disappointed. If a footballer does a minor good deed he's looked on as a hero...Simon Barnes is stating the obvious though really, I think the only people who idolize footballers as human beings are those who haven't hit puberty.
I disagreeOriginally Posted by irishfan86
My Guarantee
Am looking for old Irish matches on VHS, PM me if you have some and I'll upload them here
Didn't turn Robbie Keane into an a**hole who doesn't care about his country and would only use an Ireland shirt to get a better club
Folding my way into the big money!!!
Kevin Kilbane and Lee Carsley both do a great deal of untold work and support charities that deal with down syndrome.
I'm not saying footballers are useless people, I'm saying that they should generally be judged exclusively as a footballer. The media tends to hype these guys up or try and bring them to the level of some demon.
The likes of John Terry getting dad of the year for example is a total joke...dad of the year should go to some random single father who lost his wife to some disease and still maintains a positive attitude, not some ass who just happens to be good at stopping people from scoring.
He's brutal at that judging from his antics in the papers earlier in the year.
DID YOU NOTICE A SIGN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE...?
We're not talking Nobel prize-equivalent here. The "Dad of the Year" award is a marketing ploy to push more product. It is sponsored by "Daddies" brown sauce. Given the amount of brown sauce that Terry landed himself in this year I'd say he was an apt recipient of the award.
PP
Semper in faecibus sole profundum variat
http://www.stephenireland.com/charity/
You can be a plank and give to charity as evidenced here.
Though I'd agree in not paying much heed what they do off the pitch, I couldn't care less if you buy strange cars, write crap in newspapers or give to charity in your spare time, what you do on the pitch is what matters and what should define you as a player.
Stephen is committed to his charity work, working closely with the Francis House Children's Hospice. This website is one of Stephen's means to raise money. Please visit the shop or donate pages in order to contribute. Francis House offers the families of very sick children a respite from their role as carers and gives the children a loving home from home. The philosophy of Francis House and Rainbow Family Trust flows from the belief in the sanctity of life, and the dignity of the person. Skilled nursing care for children in a homely, happy and secure place. An essential break for parents and for the rest of the family Friendship, encouragement and relief enabling the whole family to return home refreshed
A flexible service to meet the needs of the family, including home support and bereavement care. A lifeline by just being available day or night Visit Francis House to see more about their great work.
Surely in the grand scheme of things, giving to charity in your spare time is much more important than kicking a piece of leather around for 90 minutes, as entertaining as that may be.
If your going to appreciate someone for charitable reasons theres far more worthy people out there than those who spend a couple of hours in the year to a charitable cause. I'm not criticising soccer players for doing it, I'm saying I don't care. I will like or dislike a player because of what they do on the pitch
some of the biggest philanthropists in the world are also some of the biggest plonkers in the world. Just because someone supports a charity doesnt make them a good person.
I like high energy football. A little bit rock and roll. Many finishes instead of waiting for the perfect one.
Since we are on the topic of charity and footballers seen this today, fair dues to bellamy
http://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2011/0112/bellamyc.html
My Guarantee
Am looking for old Irish matches on VHS, PM me if you have some and I'll upload them here
There's a great line in Tom Humphries' Laptop Dancing book about footballers being obsessed with doing things for charity and thinking it excuses all other behaviour, something like "Generally footballers believe that if Hitler had annexed Poland for charity, it would have been fine". I think it was about the 2002 team donating their media-donated players pool fund to charity but still being ******es in relation to media duties or something.
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