Stephen Ireland close to finding new club and returning to football

Former Ireland international Stephen Ireland is reportedly close to joining Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen.

Ireland was released by Stoke City at the end of last season after five injury plagued seasons at the Britannia Stadium where he played just 70 games in all competitions. According to Colin Duncan reporting in the Scottish Sun,  McInnes has held talks with Ireland’s representatives and is hoping to strike a deal for the midfielder before the end of the month. The 32-year-old trained with championship side Bolton Wanderers during the summer but he failed to earn a contract with the club as he looks to return to football after playing just five times for Stoke last season. His career has been hampered by injuries and earlier this year he sat down with The Telegraph's John Percy earlier this year and offered a gruesome account of the injury, with some particularly startling imagery.

“I remember what happened as clear as day. It was a very relaxed session and in the last 15 seconds I was going for the tackle and nudged the ball off line and he [Teixeira] judged it wrong. “He kicked through with his heel on my shinbone. I heard it snap and knew instantly it was broken. I was hopping on my right leg and looked down at my left leg – the ankle and foot was like jelly, swinging. “The thing that will stay with me for the rest of my life was lying on the floor and looking up at Phil Bardsley. He was standing over me, he grabbed his head with both hands and screamed ‘Oh my God’ dead loud. I knew from his reaction I was in trouble. It just felt like my time, part of my story and to see if I was ready for the challenge.”