Stephen Ireland was rushed to the hospital over the weekend after a sickening challenge left him with a double bone break – with fans offering their well-wishes on social media
Wythenshawe Vets and their star-studded line-up of former Premier League footballers has been of the storylines of the 2025/26 season – but they made headlines for all the wrong reasons over the weekend.
Stephen Ireland was rushed to hospital after a sickening challenge left him with a suffered a double leg break that requires surgery. In a post on Instagram his wife, Jessica, revealed he had surgery on the leg and “is now on the road to recovery”.
And as Ireland starts his recovery, and his wife thanks the outpouring of support, Daily Star Sport looks back at his wild footballing career.
Man City’s Player of the Year
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“Absolutely,” Ireland said when asked if Manchester City were still his team. Born in Ireland, the midfielder had moved to City as a 15-year-old before graduating from the club’s academy.
Ireland showed off his talent from a young age, becoming a star in a City side that also featured the likes of Elano and Robinho. In the 2008/09 season he made 50 appearances scoring 13 goals and providing the same number of assists.
He was named as City’s Player of the Year while also being nominated for PFA Young Player of the Year. He was playing his best football under Mark Hughes, who would be a guest of honour at his wedding in later years.
“That season I felt invincible,” he told City’s website looking back at his career. I felt unbelievable on the pitch. I never came off. I was outrunning everybody and my stats were through the roof. I never felt tired after the game.
“It was the point in my career when everything came together. Mark Hughes had a great way of doing things and that helped massively. He simplified everything for me with training, his way of looking at the game and getting the best of out of me.”
However, all good things must come to an end and when Hughes was replaced by Roberto Mancini, he was phased out of the side.
Single dad
When Ireland first met his soon-to-be-wife Jessica, he already had two kids. “I had two children but split with their mother. I took custody and raised them on my own.
“I was on £350-a-week, working hard to get in the first team and living on my own bringing up two kids. My mates were partying but I was going home.
“That was my life when I met Jess, but people don’t see that. They just see the WAG thing. But Jess has been amazing and what people think of us is irrelevant.
“People make out I blow money but it’s more a case of treating myself occasionally.
“I’ve worked hard to get there, so why not? I know I’m lucky. I consider myself blessed.
“I have three great kids who are healthy and we try to make sure they stay grounded. The kids aren’t spoiled – the truth is I’m completely normal and boring.”
‘Grannygate’
As Ireland rose to stardom at City, he would also started to earn fame in his homeland – with the midfielder called up to the national team. However he later admitted his call-up came to early in his career.
“I didn’t realise how much time it would take up, and everything that came with playing for the national side. It just happened at the wrong time for me; my life was chaotic, I was single, with two kids, playing for Man City’s first-team, I was on £95 a week…
“The stress, and how hard it was to deal with, it was virtually impossible for me to go away. I must’ve had 10 call-ups and was able to make one. I couldn’t make it; I literally couldn’t make it.”
And when he did finally take the call, he had a unique excuse to get out of it. Ireland were heading into a crunch Euro 2008 qualifier with Czechia.
However, less than an hour before the game, Jess was trying to ge in contact with him: “The manager went back into the dressing room to get my phone and when I got it I immediately rang my girlfriend to get more details.
“My girlfriend was distraught and explained that she had just suffered a miscarriage. Jessica said she was very lonely and wanted me to come home. She said she thought they might let me home quicker if they thought my grandmother had died.”
However, when his lie was rumbled when his maternal grandmother, Patricia Tallon, read about her ‘death’ in the newspaper and made it clear she was very much alive.
Ireland doubled down and said it was his other grandmother – but she also confirmed she was alive after reading about her death in the paper.
“I decided at that stage that I must tell the truth and admit I had told lies. I realise now that it was a massive mistake to say my grandmothers had died and I deeply regret it.”
Reality TV wife
Ireland first met Jess through mutual friends, she was 20-years-old at the time and was working as a beauty therapist. However, she had always dreamed of being a actress.
And she landed the perfect role for a footballer’s wife in 2012 after being cast in ‘WAG! The Musical’. “It’s so much fun playing a WAG; you can be so over the top with it and act spoilt and rude,” she said at the time.
“I can understand where the stereotype comes from as there is no smoke without fire. And I’m pretty sure some WAG has given this feel off to people, acting more important than they are, which I think is ridiculous.”
Ireland was very proud of his wife: “Stephen thinks it’s brilliant and is the number-one fan of the show at the moment. He is so proud; you swear I was on the West End!”
However, she admitted her life as a WAG wasn’t all glitz and glam: “If people heard about my life as a WAG, they would be disappointed. When I go home and close the door, it’s just me and the family with school runs and tracksuits.
“With three kids under the age of seven, I can’t afford to be tottering around in high heels and constantly in make-up with big hair. People would be shocked to hear the reality.”
Britain’s ‘most tackiest house’
However, if their lifestyle wasn’t that of a stereotypical WAG, their mansion certainly was – with the Daily Mail calling it Britain’s ‘most tackiest house’.
At his peak, Ireland had a black felt pool table with his own name on it, an indoor swimming pool equipped with a waterfall, a gym and a games room, and a fish tank in the main dining area.
The couple sold it for an eye-watering £3.75million in 2018. And local estate-agents Saville’s did their best to dress up the mansion: “Few properties make the impression of Asana. This is an exceptional house in so many ways.
“The quality of presentation is astounding, with individually sourced wall and floor coverings, fantastic quality fixtures and fittings and artistic flourishes which contribute to creating a unique home.
“The property is as well suited to entertaining as for family use and the great flow of the accommodation means there are areas away from the main family space if needed.”
Ireland likes to be a tad flashy, and he famously customised his £90,000 Range Rover Sport with luminous pink alloys and a pink front grille.
“It’s absolutely mental, I’m constantly asked if I still have it. It was something like 16 years ago, of course I don’t!
“But the story behind it is simple; that was actually my wife’s car. I had a white Range Rover and she had a black one with those now-infamous wheels.”
The Stoke City years
Ireland never really hit the same highs of his footballing career after leaving City.
He joined Aston Villa in 2010, spending four years with them – but two on loan at Newcastle and Stoke. And it would be the latter he would join a permanent deal in 2014.
Ireland became a key figure at the Potters, staying at the club until 2018. He joined Bolton that summer, but after two games in the development team he decided to hang up his boots.