Villa flop Stephen Ireland has slashed the likelihood of ever being an Aston Villa by about a hundred times from an already impossible position after revealing some harsh truths, if they are indeed true, about Gerard Houllier. In an extensive interview with a French magazine the midfielder didn’t hold back against his manager, in turn calling the city of Birmingham crap! How very wise! Ireland claims, and probably rightly so to some degree, that he has been unfairly treated at Villa since moving from Manchester City in the summer, stating that Houllier told him to stay at home for match days and claiming that he was forced to pay his own medical fees, harsh but that’s life mate get on with it! To read the full interview with So Foot
“After 15 matches on the bench Houllier told me to stay at home. I trained during the week and on Fridays he told me, ‘no point your coming, you are not in the team’.”
With great modesty Ireland went on to add that he “was the best player in training. It was my team that won in every session. One of the few times he played me, we drew 0-0 at Chelsea and I ended up man of the match.” (Have a certificate Stephen!)
“Apparently that didn’t matter to him. I was stuck with being paid for doing nothing at all. I was left to myself.
“I had to pay out of my own pocket for medical treatment. Can you believe that?” – what has the world come to? A grown man paying for his own medical fees, “can you believe that?”
The 24-year-old, in line for a Newcastle debut this weekend since moving to the club on loan in January, then made the smart move of insulting an entire city, before bad-mouthing his Irish homeland, stating:
“Houllier asked me to come and live in Birmingham because it was taking me 75 minutes to come to training. But there were 15 players in the same position as me. Some came from London and took more than two hours, but he only asked me to move.
“For a start, Birmingham is a c**p city and I wasn’t going to make the effort, especially as I wasn’t playing. Might as well be in Manchester if I had to stay home on match days.
“I don’t bear Houllier any grudges, it wasn’t him who chose me after all.”
“I just want to play and have a manager who really wants me for once. I have no idea at the moment who I will be playing for next season. My future is unclear.”
“I don’t give a damn for Ireland. Live in Cork? Rather shoot myself. I prefer Los Angeles.”
Quite a scathing interview there which also touched on Stephen’s extensive knowledge of Irish politics. A fantastically entertaining read, I’ll give him that. Best of luck in Newcastle Mr Ireland, I’m pretty sure they call it the Los Angeles of the North so you’ll be fine!
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