It will soon be ten years since one of the most infamous Irish sporting sagas of modern time, in which a player named after this country did his best not to play for it. September 14th will mark the tenth anniversary of Stephen Ireland walking out on the Irish camp to be with his grieving girlfriend, having initially lied about the death of each of his grandmothers in order to extricate himself from Steve Staunton's underperforming and directionless squad.
Ireland has not played international football since, although he had hoped to return under Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane. The latter hinted at his return, as he had bumped into the first grandmother Ireland had killed off on a flight to Ireland. She beseeched Keane to add her grandson to the international fold, to which Keane responded that he had a chance if he was playing well, adding that it was understanding that O'Neill had already spoken to Ireland about a potential return.
That never materialised for Ireland, who is currently working his way back to full fitness at Stoke City following a hideous leg break in training, which has forced him to miss 16 months of action.
Ireland spoke today to Paul Rowan of The Sunday Times as he nears a return - ironically around the anniversary of his Ireland exit - and he revealed the details of that call with Martin O'Neill.
It did happen, says Ireland, although he found it "a bit strange".
Martin called me one day out of the blue and we had a good conversation over the phone. I was excited, I thought 'this is it now, I am back'. He was due to see me within a couple of days at my house in Manchester. He said 'I will call you when I am on my way'. I said 'no problem'. He never turned up.
Then I had a missed call of him the day of the last game of the season. I was going to ring him back after the game but then I found out he had spoken to my agent. He was literally ringing me to tell me he wasn't picking me for a squad. I thought that was a bit strange. About three days later there was a report comparing me to Mariah Carey because I was a diva for not actually answering his call. And that is the last contact I had with him.
Would you take him back, if he can regain full fitness at Stoke?
Read the full piece in today's Sunday Times.
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