Man of the moment

If his performances weren't enough to endear him to the City fans, Steven Ireland impresses even more today with these comments:

I wanted a few days off before I got back into the training ahead of pre-season, but because the Middlesbrough defeat was such a heavy one I started straight away. I knew from the hard work I’d put in I’d feel the benefits. [emphasis mine]

He's been doing martial arts and power lifting over the summer and I think it shows. He used to look a bit lightweight in midfield but this year he's held his own - allowing him to put into action the skill and vision he's always had.