STEPHEN IRELAND BELIEVES he can be the type of player that Aston Villa’s young stars look up to this season.
The 26-year-old, who has been regarded as something of a bad boy in the past, looks to have nailed down a regular place in the starting line-up under Paul Lambert and was one of Villa’s best players against Manchester United over the weekend.
The Midlands club have a number of inexperienced players on their books, including Irish defenders Ciaran Clark and Enda Stevens as well as teenagers Samir Carruthers, Derrick Williams and Graham Burke, and along with the likes of Richard Dunne and Shay Given, Ireland is relishing the chance to be a role model.
The Cork midfielder told the club’s official website ACFC.co.uk: ”The players here aren’t half getting younger!
“I had this at Manchester City. Kevin Keegan left, Stuart Pearce took over and all of a sudden, me Micah Richards, Joe Hart were given a chance.
Now I find myself one of the experienced ones at Villa, which is a change. I’ve never been in that position before. I wouldn’t look at them as competition.
“I like it when homegrown lads come through, especially if they deserve it and work hard to be where they are. That’s a real good story.
“I want to give them advice and help them with their decision making.”
International exile Ireland came through Manchester City’s academy alongside Micah Richards, Daniel Sturridge and Michael Johnson before departing the club in 2010. On the transition to the senior football, he added: ”That step up from youth to reserve to first team is massive. When I was trying to get into the first team at City.
“I’d been in the reserves since I was 16 or 17, playing with Richard Dunne, Robbie Fowler, Steve McManaman. They were really experienced.
“I picked up from them. So with the young lads coming in and training with us, I hope to help them like I was helped.”
Congratulations to both teams -easily the two best in this year’s Harty. Will this be the first final between Thurles and Flannans since the Spring of 1954 ?