Ireland call not driving Stephen

AFTER A WEEK of comebacks so surprising that you half expect Muhammad Ali to step back into the ring, would it be too much to imagine Stephen Ireland putting on the green of his country again?

The Corkman has been in international exile for more than four years and appeared to kill off any slim chance of reconciliation with Giovanni Trappatoni last March when it was reported he called the Italian “arrogant”, as well as criticising his home town, country and adopted city of Birmingham.

Ireland claimed he was misquoted and misrepresented in the French football magazine interview, but his comments over the years suggest he has never felt a burning desire to add to his six caps.