Manchester City fans’ favourite, Stephen Ireland, has claimed he grew up as a Manchester United fan and had trials with the club when he was a teenager.
However, he reckons that the lack of first team opportunities sparked a decision to join City. There’s no mention of an offer from United though and Ireland did just have a week long trial with us.
Still, there have been times when Ireland felt his time was up with the blues, following harsh criticism from the bitters. “I was shocked at some of the things the fans were saying about me and the way they felt,” said Ireland today. “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. It stung me pretty bad. There are always some fans who like you and some who don’t, but this was totally one sided.”
Ahead of derby day, Ireland claims he has no regrets about joining City.
“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.”
Stephen Ireland is a red…
Man Utd News 24/7
A good player in my opinion. he would have made a good pair alongside Hargo in Midfield.
At least he’s honest and understands he wasn’t good enough for us – and still isn’t
asside from the fact he is a complete twat, he is a good footballer and i’d take him at United any day.
To tell the truth I always thought that this bloke is a class ahead of his team mates. He is a born red. Any more comments are in vain !!
Should have got a brain transplant rather than a hair transplant… little prick.
He must wear a wig if he wants to play us.
and get the pink out of his car wheels.
No hard feelings. Coming up as a 15-year-old desperate to make it as a football player, teenagers will accept an academy place anywhere.
superman to score the winner tomorrow……….shut you lot up!!!!
Don’t need him – who would you take out?
Fletch is out of this world
Scholes is rolling back the years
Anderson looks like he’s back from wherever he went to last year
Carrick is admittedly not having a good start
Giggs has gone from world class winger to world class midfielder (thank God for that then)
So where would Ireland fit?
Fergie told him he had enough Irish players?? what a load of rubbish…as if Fergie would say that about any nationality…your either good enough for united or your not! It doesnt matter where your from!!
The comment about Fergie saying he has enough Irish sounds like absolute horse-sh*t. Don’t think Fergie has ever thought quotas of nationalities is relevant. If he did make a comment like that it would obviously be a joke, evidently Ireland’s sense of humor is as lacking as his patriotism.
Great player but by all accounts an absolute idiot.
HOPE FLETCH HAS HIM IN HIS POCKET FER 90 MINS TOMMORRA! THE COCK END!
Irish my balls ya wee turncoat fuck!
Good player but not United quality. Looks good in an average side like Citeh but would be found out at United. The fact he is a UNITED fan? Priceless.
Yeah you do see young players go on loan, just like you do at any other club, what’s that bloke called who went out on loan and turned out good for us? David…Beckham was it? Can see his point, no one knows what happened to him, youngsters just don’t make it at United nor are they given a chance, Fabio, Rafael, Macheda, O’Shea, Neville, Neville, Giggs, Scholes, Brown, Beckham. Barely make double figures eh?
Let’s see the youth break through at City now, wouldn’t you just love to be a young talented striker there, you’re bound to get your chance, you’re only competing with Robinho, Cruz, Bellemy, Tevez, Ade…
@ Mic – lol…. you signed Fabio last year… Rafael signed last year…. Macheda signed last year… hardly products of the youth setup. As for the other players you mentioned Wes Brown is 29, O’Shea is 28 and the others are well into their 30s. You’ve had nobody come through in over 10 years. You have no youth team.
Never liked him, dont think United would ever need him.
his grans not dead he just forgot
one day he’s bald the next he’s not
he always lies
that much is true
he just your typical
fuckin blue
So. Mr mac_ glossap said superman to score the winner tomorrow and he’ ll shut us all up…………….he he………….he……he he he……..
mr mac glossap. do you know when we shut up?
WHEN YOUR SUPERMAN WIN HALF OF THE MEDALS OF SIR RYAN GIGGS !!!!
xity is a name, xity is a name 40 yrs and won f…all xity is their name !!!!!
Bluenose – O’Shea, Fletcher, Brown, Evans, Welbeck and Gibson are all products of the youth team over the past 10 years who are all in the first team squad, with the last two both scoring in the Premiership last season.
fair enough comments, hes a very good player and would definitely be a factor in fergie’s constantly rotated midfield if he was here now… but i don’t think it’s a massive loss, if in some parallel universe united did sign him i would be very happy though!
@bluenose
You never heard of jonny evans, wud you not say he’s part of united squad now.
Is that his car? That he drives in public?? What a d-bag.
I think ireland wud fit into our team along side fletch or hargreaves. ps good tune ghtt
LOL @ Picture name
Steven ireland wank car
fergie is walking down the touchline when a woman puts her arm out for fergie to sign, which he does. Bit further down a woman lifts her top up so fergie signs her tit. When he gets to the tunnel, a woman’s lay there wi her legs spread open. Fergie says sorry luv, it’s mark hughes who signs the twats
@Bluenose
We have everything we want
You have nothing we want
However we have what you want
Trophies and a hell of a lot of them to boot
So carry on the delusion
You have won absolutely F*** all and you think you’re it.
Yeah come again?
@sppibsihmkcrkg
LOL nice joke I like that A LOT
Fucking hell….does he drive that fucking pink car around Manchester…… fuck me he has gotta be harder than I thought …either that or bent as a three bob note….
Stevie is now pure blue through and through and it just goes to show you where the better academy is.CTID!!!!
we call that car ‘jatra gaadi’ in India, LOL
id like to use Purportedly Duncan Edwards’ final words as a tribute to a wonderful young footballer and an inspiration to all Manchester United players since then.
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬
GET STUCK IN LADS
Nice car – who said your modern footballers are over-paid gobshites with no sense of taste or moderation?
How’s yer gran you blue twat?
Hes a brilliant player, Citys best player by far last season, and with players like Barry, Adebayor etc around him, he will only improve, shame he never made it at United as hes quality player.
Stephen Ireland is a good player but a bit of a turd.
And as for the pink wheels………………
who cares?
Pink wheels dude pink wheels!!!! am embarassed for him pufffff
Just stuff the bitters and add another verse to the “massive” song.. Job done…
Hes a fucking turncoat!!! I dont want him at Utd and i sure as hell dont want him back in the Ireland team, fuckin scum. Only Roy has the right to walk out on us then come back. That little cunt isnt fit to clean Keanos boots.
Why the fuck did he spoil a perfectly good Rangie?And look at that hairpiece?This guy is seriously messed up.
robinhosthumb..
..so you think city has a better academy than united?? i dare you to give a list of all the fantastic and successful players that city’s academy has produced….you do that and i’ll come back with united’s list.
if your wise i rekon you wont come back with a list to save ur skin, as when i counter that with united list..everyone will know how embarrassing your comment is…..not that they dont already, but it will be funny to compare the list!!!
fergie was testing him… wether ireland is determine enough to say despite telling him that united has too many irish players. he’s a good player.. but he should have stayed and prove to fergie that he too can be a great irish player like irwin and keano
what sorta car it that what a tit
this to me just show what a bottler he is. Hasn’t got the fight in him to try and get into team, and obviously can’t take a joke. What a girl getting upset coz fergie said he had enough irish players. Muppet
City as well did the same thing we did to Ireland.They had a 15 year old training with them,he asked if they would give him an offer and they said no.
The name of the boy-Ryan Joseph Wilson.
one word PUFFINO