Stephen Ireland has said that his stint at his previous club Aston Villa was nightmarish.
Ireland left Villa to join Stoke in January this year. He just made 47 top tier appearances for the Lions scoring a solitary goal which came against Chelsea in the 2011-12 Season.
Before signing for Stoke permanently, Ireland had spent a few months there on loan.
The 27-year old midfielder was not kept on the sidelines that often at Stoke last season and that’s why he enjoyed his time there so much. At his previous two clubs i.e. Manchester City and Arsenal, he was rarely given a regular run.
In a programme yesterday, Ireland was quoted as saying, “They didn’t give me enough importance at Villa. I was put aside. It was frustrating as well as hurtful. I used to train alone. It was a bizarre kind of a situation for me, a situation I would not want to be in again.”
When asked if his time at City was slightly better, Ireland said, “No, not at all. It was even worse if anything. At City, I was not getting a weekly salary of even 100 Pounds. Just imagine how difficult it would have been with that salary especially when I had to look after my kid as well.”
“However, past is past. There is no point bringing that back into your memory time and again. Highs and lows come in everybody’s life. You’ve just got to move ahead.”
Stoke City is going to play against Aston Villa on the upcoming Saturday on their home ground i.e. the Britannia Stadium and Ireland would certainly like to prove a point in that match. It will be the first match in this year’s league for both the teams.