Stephen Ireland

Early career

Born in Cork, County Cork, Ireland started his career in Cobh, playing junior football for Cobh Ramblers, a team his father Michael had previously played for. As a schoolboy, Ireland had trials with a number of British clubs, though several were discouraged by his Osgood-Schlatter disease, which he suffered from in his mid-teens. He eventually chose Manchester City, where he moved in August 2001, as a fifteen-year-old.

Manchester City

In 2005, at the age of 18, he joined English club Manchester City. He played for the first team in a number of pre-season friendlies and made his competitive debut on 18 September 2005, against Bolton Wanderers, coming on as an 81st-minute substitute. He subsequently made his first competitive start against Doncaster Rovers on 21 September. He won the Man of the Match award on his first Premier League start against Everton on 2 October. He then started the next six matches for City, which won him a contract to keep him at the club until 2009. In the remainder of the season he participated in around half of Manchester City's matches, ending the season with a total of 16 starts and 12 substitute appearances. On 26 December, Ireland scored his first Premier League goal for City, a left footed volley from 20 yards. The goal proved to be the only goal in a vital 1–0 victory at Sheffield United's Bramall Lane. On 18 February, Ireland rounded off the scoring for Manchester City in a 3–1 away win over Preston North End in…

Ireland represented the Republic of Ireland at under-15, under-16 and under-17 level. When called up to under-18 level, he had a dispute with coach Brian Kerr when he was left out of the side for a match in Ireland's home town of Cobh and told to watch the match from the stands. The team lost the match 4–0, and Kerr suggested Ireland would be involved in the next match, in nearby Cork City. When Ireland was again left out, he requested to return to his club, and Kerr informed him that he would never play for the Republic of Ireland while Kerr was manager. In January 2006 Kerr was replaced as Republic of Ireland senior team manager by Steve Staunton. In Staunton's first squad, for a match against Sweden on 1 March, Ireland received a senior call-up for the first time. He came on a substitute in the match, replacing John O'Shea in a 3–0 friendly win at Lansdowne Road. He scored his first international goal on 7 October to open a 5–2 loss away to Cyprus in UEFA Euro 2008 qualification. On 7 February 2007, he scored in the last eight seconds as the team won 2–1 away to San Marino in another qualifier; had he not scored, the opponents would have had a first ever point in European qualification. On 24 March 2007, he scored the first ever association football goal in Croke Park against Wales. This was his third international goal in four matches, and he also scored in a 2–2 home draw against Slovakia in Bratislava on 8 September.

Controversy

In September 2007, immediately…

Club

International

Scores and results list Republic of Ireland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Stephen Ireland goal.

Ireland is married and has three children. He owned a home in Prestbury, Cheshire and a number of custom built vehicles. Following the conclusion of his contract with Bolton Wanderers, he listed the home for sale and sold it in 2019 for £3.75 million (€4.3 million). Ireland has a number of tattoos including a large pair of angel wings on his back. After his playing career, Ireland became a football agent. Representing Cork City teenagers Cathal Heffernan and Mark O'Mahony, he negotiated low release clauses of €35,000 and €50,000 for them to move to A.C. Milan and Brighton & Hove Albion, respectively.