Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish believes Stephen Ireland can return to the form he showed at Manchester City.
The 25-year old midfielder had a stellar campaign at Eastlands in the 2008/09 season, scoring nine goals, but has struggled to regain that form since departing for Newcastle United and then onto Villa in recent years.
Ireland has appeared six times in the league under McLeish so far this term and the Scottish tactician says he will soon find that touch that made him one of the Premier League's best midfielders when at City.
"He's worked really hard," McLeish told Express & Star.
"He's always one of the star performers on the training ground because of his touch and vision. I certainly can't say that he hasn't applied himself.
"Stevie, like everybody else when we're 13 games into it, has got to be patient.
"Players don't realise sometimes that it just takes the snap of your thumb and fingers to trigger your form again and you are back on top.
"I've still got hopes for Stevie," he added.
"We probably need to have the right players to play alongside him.
"When you see his breaking and counter-attacking, that's the Stevie Ireland that I remember."
