AFTER RECENT speculation that getting him off the Aston Villa wage bill was Alex McLeish’s priority for the January transfer window, Stephen Ireland has insisted he is finally getting close to recovering the sort of form he showed during his breakthrough season at Manchester City.
The 25-year-old’s career has stalled badly in the years since and towards the end of last season an unsuccessful loan spell at Newcastle United left him looking distinctly unwanted, not least because he is one of the biggest earners at Villa Park.
McLeish, though, said in recent weeks the Irishman, who has had a string of injury problems over the last year or so, would get a chance to show what he can do and Saturday’s man-of-the-match winning performance against Everton, the player insists, is evidence of an impending return to form. “In the majority of games, I would be feeling like I was coming off no matter how well I was doing,” he says. “I guess that was because I haven’t been given the trust. Probably since I first got here, I haven’t been given that trust – but I have now thanks to the gaffer.
“I feel I’m ready to show my best form now. I’m getting fitter and you get that with a consistent run. I’m in a good place. I’m working as hard as I can, I’m improving game by game and the more confidence I get the better.
“It’s a question as well of getting on the same wavelength as some of the other players,” he continued. “At Manchester City, I could play passes because I knew where everyone else was but at the moment I need to get on the same wavelength as the others. I feel like I’m going in the right direction and the more football I get, it will improve.”
Goalkeeper Shay Given heaped praise on the midfielder in the wake of the Everton game. Since then he has insisted, despite a rather low-key start to the striker’s Villa career at the weekend, Robbie Keane can make a significant impact at the club over the course of his six-week loan spell from LA Galaxy.
“For sure, Robbie is champing at the bit to get starting a game,” Given told the BBC. “I think he’s shown to everyone in training how good a player he is and he looks very, very sharp. Over the next six weeks I’m sure he’ll get some important goals for us.”
Elsewhere, Ipswich Town have offered young Irish striker Ronan Murray a new one-year deal after declining a bid for the 20-year-old from Swindon where the player had just completed a highly-successful loan period. “Ronan enjoyed his time at Swindon,” said manager Paul Jewell, “and they did make a bid for him but we have rejected it and he’s back with us. I have spoken to Ronan and Luke [Hyam] and we’d like to keep them here beyond the summer. We’re in the process of offering them new contracts for another year and we’ll see how things develop.”
