Stephen Ireland will report back to pre-season training with Aston Villa this week determined to make a fresh start and demonstrate his commitment to the club after a disappointing first season in the Midlands. The Irishman is due to hold talks with Alex McLeish, the new Villa manager, upon his return to the club, and intends to use those discussions to express his desire to fight for a regular first-team place.
Ireland, who plans to move into an apartment in Birmingham before the start of the season rather than continue to commute from the north-west, recognises that McLeish's arrival represents a clean slate and offers him an opportunity to revive his career.
The midfielder was named Manchester City's player of the year in 2009 and appeared to have a bright future ahead of him, but over the past couple of seasons he has regressed. He became a peripheral figure at Eastlands under Roberto Mancini in the 2009‑10 season and endured a frustrating and underwhelming first campaign at Villa, after arriving last August as part of the deal that took James Milner to Manchester City.
Ireland struggled to make an impact, was quickly dropped from the starting XI and publicly criticised by Gérard Houllier, who accused him of not working hard enough for the team.
Houllier's remarks went down badly with Ireland, who was allowed to join Newcastle United on loan in January. His spell on Tyneside proved difficult for several reasons. Ireland suffered knee and thigh injuries and had to wait three months before he made his Newcastle debut. Also, while on loan at the club, his partner was involved in a serious car accident. By the time Ireland's four-month loan had expired, he had made only two appearances for Newcastle.
Nigel Reo-Coker, meanwhile, has yet to secure a new club and could decide to explore a number of overseas options. The 27-year-old midfielder left Villa at the end of last season after his four-year contract expired. There were suggestions that Reo-Coker might return to Villa when McLeish took over as manager last month but it is understood that the chances of that happening are slim, with no fresh talks planned to take place.
Stoke City, Bolton Wanderers and West Bromwich Albion have all expressed interest in Reo-Coker but the player has yet to receive an offer from a Premier League club and is now giving serious consideration to whether he should move abroad.
Reo-Coker has options in Greece and Russia that could well prove lucrative, especially as he is on a free transfer. He was earning close to £2m a year at Villa and would hope to pick up similar wages at his new club.