Aston Villa boss Alex McLeish says Stephen Ireland has a lot to offer this season.
Highly rated while at Manchester City, Ireland's career has faltered following his move to Villa Park as part of the deal that took James Milner the other way and McLeish is eager to help the 24-year-old recapture his old form.
"Stephen Ireland, a couple of years ago he looked an amazing player, making these forging runs from midfield, getting in the box, scoring goals, picking out the right passes," he said.
"Every ball he touched it turned to goal, it seemed. Then, all of a sudden, his game hasn't gone the way you would expect.
"The player has excelled in training, making those piercing runs and I'm looking forward to getting Stephen Ireland fit and competing for the whole season. As a manager, your job is to get the best out of every individual and that's what I'll do with Stephen Ireland."
