Georgios Samaras says Manchester City teammate Stephen Ireland needs everyone's support after last week's off-the-field problems.

The City striker told the club's website: "What Stephen did was wrong, but he's a good person and he does not deserve to have everyone against him. I think he needs the support of all his team mates in the dressing room at the moment, and he needs to know we are on his side.

"Stephen and I are good friends, I hope he can focus on football now and keep improving for the club.

"Family is the most important thing in the world. Sometimes you can do stupid things, you travel a lot in football and everyone misses their family. We all make mistakes, but he needs to focus on his game now. He's young, and he deserves a second chance.

"Everyone at the club is giving him a lot of support, and I hope we can all help him move forward."