HelloCity
Well-Known Member
Stephen Ireland has no regrets at turning his back on Manchester United, the club he supported and idolised growing up.
His boyhood hero may have been ex-United skipper Roy Keane, but a week on trial there as a raw teenage hopeful was enough to convince him his future lay elsewhere.
And on the eve of tomorrow's potentially seismic Manchester derby, Ireland revealed why he is glad he rejected the chance to play for Sir Alex Ferguson and joined their local rivals City instead.
"I didn't know where I stood at United," said Ireland. "I was there when I was 15 but I just didn't like it.
"Every day there I'd be training with a different bunch of kids. I didn't know who I was meant to be impressing, who my coaches were and I just felt all over the place.
"I only met Fergie once. I said 'hello' to him one day and he knew straight away that I was Irish.
"He told me he already had enough Irish players with Roy Keane and Denis Irwin, so I guess that was another hint for me to hit the road.
"I grew up supporting United, so maybe my expectations were too high when I went there. But as soon as I came to City it felt right and I could see myself being where I am now.
"At United you see so many young players go out on loan, season after season, without making the first-team.
"I couldn't do that. I've always wanted to play first-team football and thankfully I've managed that at City."
United's loss was ultimately City's gain, but what would Fergie give to have Ireland playing for him now?
He scored 13 goals last season and contributed nine assists, more than any of the midfielders at Fergie's disposal, with the exception of the now-departed Cristiano Ronaldo.
He was voted City's Player of the Year last season, and while Mark Hughes has spent close to £250million on big-name signings, Ireland remains the man around whom the team is built.
Ireland's transformation into arguably City's most important player has certainly not been lost on United fans, who he claimed regularly tell him how they wish he was playing for them.
"I tend to get more United fans than City fans coming up to me," said Ireland. "Some of them say they'd love me to play for United and it's great to have that acknowledgement.
"It was important to change people's opinion of me, and I think I've managed to do that through my football.
"I think people realise now that I have knuckled down, worked hard and am achieving what I want to achieve."
Ireland has worked hard to change the public's perception of him and is forthright, intelligent and honest about his career and the mistakes he has made along the way.
He was in danger of being more famous for acts like celebrating a goal by dropping his shorts to reveal Superman underpants, and lying about the deaths of two grandmothers to escape international duty, than for his footballing ability.
But having grown up and matured into a player of outstanding talent, Ireland knows the derby is another chance for him to build on his growing reputation and for City to announce themselves as genuine rivals to United.
A 100 per cent start to the season sees City level on points with United at the top of the table, with a game in hand. The stakes could not be higher, as Ireland readily acknowledged.
"Year by year the derby gets bigger and bigger," said Ireland. "The atmosphere, the expectation, the quality of the players involved, it's such a huge occasion.
"With everything that's happened to us in the past year and with the players we've bought, this is going to be the biggest derby so far.
"When we've beaten United in recent seasons, we've been sitting 11th or 12th in the table, so winning the derby was great, but didn't mean much in terms of the league.
"But now, with us being right up there at the top of the table with them, there's more on the line than there ever was."
Yet it could have been so different, had Ireland joined Sunderland at the start of last season when his reputation with City fans, many of whom did not rate him, was at an all-time low.
Sunderland wanted him and Ireland thought he was on his way there until Hughes assured him he had a future at the club. Then Ireland had to convince the fans of his worth.
"I was shocked at some of the things the fans were saying about me and the way they felt," said Ireland.
"I discussed it with my girlfriend Jessica and she was also shocked at how harsh the criticism was.
"We discussed it and started thinking 'it might be best to leave'. If the fans dislike me that much then maybe I'd be doing them a favour. I didn't realise they felt that way.
"A guy who was working on my house was going on about 'Blue Moon this, Blue Moon that'. I didn't know then that it was a City fans' website.
"I went on it one night when I was on the internet and I was really hurt by some of things I read about me.
"It stung me pretty bad. There are always some fans who like you and some who don't, but this was totally one sided.
"I felt like sitting down with the fans, showing them the stats and saying 'look, this is how hard I work'.
"I felt like I was going to be leaving but I got my chance in the team then scored against Arsenal, Liverpool and kept getting man of the match.
"I set up three or four goals when we beat Portsmouth 6-1 and got a standing ovation when I came off. That was amazing, the turning point for me, and I haven't looked back since."
His boyhood hero may have been ex-United skipper Roy Keane, but a week on trial there as a raw teenage hopeful was enough to convince him his future lay elsewhere.
And on the eve of tomorrow's potentially seismic Manchester derby, Ireland revealed why he is glad he rejected the chance to play for Sir Alex Ferguson and joined their local rivals City instead.
"I didn't know where I stood at United," said Ireland. "I was there when I was 15 but I just didn't like it.
"Every day there I'd be training with a different bunch of kids. I didn't know who I was meant to be impressing, who my coaches were and I just felt all over the place.
"I only met Fergie once. I said 'hello' to him one day and he knew straight away that I was Irish.
"He told me he already had enough Irish players with Roy Keane and Denis Irwin, so I guess that was another hint for me to hit the road.
"I grew up supporting United, so maybe my expectations were too high when I went there. But as soon as I came to City it felt right and I could see myself being where I am now.
"At United you see so many young players go out on loan, season after season, without making the first-team.
"I couldn't do that. I've always wanted to play first-team football and thankfully I've managed that at City."
United's loss was ultimately City's gain, but what would Fergie give to have Ireland playing for him now?
He scored 13 goals last season and contributed nine assists, more than any of the midfielders at Fergie's disposal, with the exception of the now-departed Cristiano Ronaldo.
He was voted City's Player of the Year last season, and while Mark Hughes has spent close to £250million on big-name signings, Ireland remains the man around whom the team is built.
Ireland's transformation into arguably City's most important player has certainly not been lost on United fans, who he claimed regularly tell him how they wish he was playing for them.
"I tend to get more United fans than City fans coming up to me," said Ireland. "Some of them say they'd love me to play for United and it's great to have that acknowledgement.
"It was important to change people's opinion of me, and I think I've managed to do that through my football.
"I think people realise now that I have knuckled down, worked hard and am achieving what I want to achieve."
Ireland has worked hard to change the public's perception of him and is forthright, intelligent and honest about his career and the mistakes he has made along the way.
He was in danger of being more famous for acts like celebrating a goal by dropping his shorts to reveal Superman underpants, and lying about the deaths of two grandmothers to escape international duty, than for his footballing ability.
But having grown up and matured into a player of outstanding talent, Ireland knows the derby is another chance for him to build on his growing reputation and for City to announce themselves as genuine rivals to United.
A 100 per cent start to the season sees City level on points with United at the top of the table, with a game in hand. The stakes could not be higher, as Ireland readily acknowledged.
"Year by year the derby gets bigger and bigger," said Ireland. "The atmosphere, the expectation, the quality of the players involved, it's such a huge occasion.
"With everything that's happened to us in the past year and with the players we've bought, this is going to be the biggest derby so far.
"When we've beaten United in recent seasons, we've been sitting 11th or 12th in the table, so winning the derby was great, but didn't mean much in terms of the league.
"But now, with us being right up there at the top of the table with them, there's more on the line than there ever was."
Yet it could have been so different, had Ireland joined Sunderland at the start of last season when his reputation with City fans, many of whom did not rate him, was at an all-time low.
Sunderland wanted him and Ireland thought he was on his way there until Hughes assured him he had a future at the club. Then Ireland had to convince the fans of his worth.
"I was shocked at some of the things the fans were saying about me and the way they felt," said Ireland.
"I discussed it with my girlfriend Jessica and she was also shocked at how harsh the criticism was.
"We discussed it and started thinking 'it might be best to leave'. If the fans dislike me that much then maybe I'd be doing them a favour. I didn't realise they felt that way.
"A guy who was working on my house was going on about 'Blue Moon this, Blue Moon that'. I didn't know then that it was a City fans' website.
"I went on it one night when I was on the internet and I was really hurt by some of things I read about me.
"It stung me pretty bad. There are always some fans who like you and some who don't, but this was totally one sided.
"I felt like sitting down with the fans, showing them the stats and saying 'look, this is how hard I work'.
"I felt like I was going to be leaving but I got my chance in the team then scored against Arsenal, Liverpool and kept getting man of the match.
"I set up three or four goals when we beat Portsmouth 6-1 and got a standing ovation when I came off. That was amazing, the turning point for me, and I haven't looked back since."