Stephen Ireland - King of the Langers

Kerry Mike · March 04, 2011, 09:36:03 AM

Ireland: I'd rather shoot myself than live in Cork - By Ben Lyttleton - Examiner - Friday, March 04, 2011

STEPHEN IRELAND is at the centre of another controversy today after allegedly declaring he would rather "shoot himself" than return and live in his native Cork.

In another no-holds-barred interview, this time for a French magazine, the Newcastle player hasalso ruled out a return to the Irish national set-up, declaring the Ireland set-up as "amateurish" and Giovanni Trapattoni as "arrogant".

The midfielder, who has just moved on loan to Newcastle, also hit out Roberto Mancini, Manchester City and Gerard Houllier in the interview, published in So Foot magazine in France today. Ireland revisited the lies he told about his grandmothers having died back in September 2007 and claimed they were "a pretext".

"International teams don't interest me. As it is, a season lasts more than 60 matches, so to go off for three days for a game against Andorra, I've got better things to do," he said.

"When you're Irish, you know very well that you're never going to win the World Cup, and even when I was in the youth teams, it used to piss me off to have to go. Everyone came from Dublin and I was the only one from Cork. I had to take the train on my own, pay for a taxi, there was no hotel, no food, and it was run in a very amateurish way.

"Ireland just reaps what it has sown. We've built buildings just for the sake of it, and at the end of the day no-one lives inside them. It costs a huge amount of money and no-one can pay it back. But I don't care about Ireland. I really don't know whether I will ever go back there one day. I'd rather shoot myself than live in Cork. I prefer Los Angeles."

Ireland also laid into coach Trapattoni, saying: "I have never seen anyone so arrogant. I met him once, he was on the phone every two minutes and he left me hanging around in this office for a quarter of an hour.

"In the end, he said, 'If you want to come and play, fine, if you don't, no problem'. He did that in reality just so the media would leave him alone."

Ireland, who met with a journalist from So Foot magazine, then turned his anger on City and the manner in which he was pushed out of the club. "Mancini never liked me, he wanted his own players, and that's fair enough. But he's gone too far, he's got rid of everyone, even the cook left. The family club I spent nine years with does not exist any more. What's going to happen when Mancini leaves? Will he take the 50 people he brought in with him? And ever since he's been there, City's matches have become as boring as hell. The club has lost its soul."

Last summer, Ireland moved to Aston Villa — only because City stopped him talking to Manchester United and Liverpool, he claimed — but one day after he signed, coach Martin O'Neill resigned from his position, leaving Ireland with a coach, Houllier, who had not chosen him.

"After 15 matches on the bench, Houllier told me to stay at home," he explained. "I would train all week and on Friday he would say, 'It's not worth coming, you're not in the team'. That's even though I was best player in training, that didn't seem to matter to him. But I have nothing against Houllier, after all, he wasn't the one who chose me."

Ireland has moved to Newcastle for the rest of the season but his comeback from injury this weekend could be put on hold after Magpies boss Alan Pardew yesterday confirmed Ireland was suffering from a thigh strain.

"We're a little concerned about him," Pardew said. "You get that when you come back from lay-offs, it's something we'll police between now and Saturday."

Arthur_Friend · March 04, 2011, 09:39:40 AM

What a tosser.

ExiledGael · March 04, 2011, 09:40:31 AM

Lovely lad, never forgot his roots did our Stephen.

quit yo jibbajabba · March 04, 2011, 09:41:06 AM

http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_6793454,00.html

jees this boy knows how to make himself popular; id guess he dont take many holidays over here lol

Bingo · March 04, 2011, 09:44:46 AM

A shining light of the golden era of professional soccer players.

You get the impression that he'll never be happy.

Arthur_Friend · March 04, 2011, 09:52:05 AM

Hardy · March 04, 2011, 09:59:00 AM

Having lived in Cork for nineteen years, I have to say I see his point.

ziggysego · March 04, 2011, 10:12:53 AM

He makes it hard for even his own mother to love him.

Is it possible to be forced to get your surname changed by deed poll. This is something Enda Kenny should look at.

Bingo · March 04, 2011, 10:15:04 AM

Quote from: ziggysego on March 04, 2011, 10:12:53 AM
He makes it hard for even his own mother to love him.

Is it possible to be forced to get your surname changed by deed poll. This is something Enda Kenny should look at.

If only his ~~granny~~, grannys were alive today to talk some sense to him.

Banana Man · March 04, 2011, 10:15:55 AM

he had to wait in an office for a quarter of an hour, i.e. 15 minutes, the outrage eh!!

as someone said on another thread, he needs the blue pipe

whiskeysteve · March 04, 2011, 10:27:19 AM

Quote from: Banana Man on March 04, 2011, 10:15:55 AM

as someone said on another thread, he needs the blue pipe

Colin Howell's garden hose treatment?

Doogie Browser · March 04, 2011, 10:34:56 AM

He is a tr**p of the highest order, glad Villa are shot of him.

The Real Laoislad · March 04, 2011, 10:50:02 AM

Quote from: Doogie Browser on March 04, 2011, 10:34:56 AM
He is a tr**p of the highest order, glad Villa are shot of him.

Calling someone a tr**p is a bit harsh don't you think?
What makes someone a tr**p these days?

It's not like he raped someone,killed someone by drink driving,beat his wife or even set out to end another professionals career with a pre mediated horror tackle.
He is a highly talented footballer who quite obviously has a few mental issues,he doesn't want to play for his country which I really can't fathom at all but we are better off without him if he doesn't want to play.
The guy has a serious chip on his shoulder and needs to see a shrink IMO,but calling him a tr**p.. really?

Cold tea · March 04, 2011, 10:55:57 AM

Quote from: The Real Laoislad on March 04, 2011, 10:50:02 AM
Quote from: Doogie Browser on March 04, 2011, 10:34:56 AM
He is a tr**p of the highest order, glad Villa are shot of him.

Calling someone a tr**p is a bit harsh don't you think?
What makes someone a tr**p these days?

It's not like he raped someone,killed someone by drink driving,beat his wife or even set out to end another professionals career with a pre mediated horror tackle.
He is a highly talented footballer who quite obviously has a few mental issues,he doesn't want to play for his country which I really can't fathom at all but we are better off without him if he doesn't want to play.
The guy has a serious chip on his shoulder and needs to see a shrink IMO,but calling him a tr**p.. really?

Saying someone has a few mental issues because he doesn't want to play for his country is a bit harsh don't you think?

Bingo · March 04, 2011, 10:56:37 AM

Quote from: The Real Laoislad on March 04, 2011, 10:50:02 AM
Quote from: Doogie Browser on March 04, 2011, 10:34:56 AM
He is a tr**p of the highest order, glad Villa are shot of him.

Calling someone a tr**p is a bit harsh don't you think?
What makes someone a tr**p these days?

It's not like he raped someone,killed someone by drink driving,beat his wife or even set out to end another professionals career with a pre mediated horror tackle.
He is a highly talented footballer who quite obviously has a few mental issues,he doesn't want to play for his country which I really can't fathom at all but we are better off without him if he doesn't want to play.
The guy has a serious chip on his shoulder and needs to see a shrink IMO,but calling him a tr**p.. really?

Yeah, he's no Neil Lennon or Ray Darcy