Newcastle midfielder Stephen Ireland has launched a scathing attack on Gerard Houllier.
Speaking in an interview with French football magazine So Foot, Ireland,
who is on loan at St James' Park, is very critical of Aston Villa boss
Houllier.
The midfielder was rarely used by Houllier after he took charge from
Martin O'Neill and he insists he was forced out of Villa by the
Frenchman.
"After 15 matches on the bench Houllier told me to stay at home," said
Ireland, who is hoping to make his Newcastle debut against Everton this
weekend.
"I trained during the week and on Fridays he told me, 'no point you coming, you are not in the team'.
"Yet I was the best player in training. It was my team that won in every
session. One of the few times he played me, we drew 0-0 at Chelsea and I
ended up man of the match.
"Apparently that didn't matter to him. I was stuck with being paid for
doing nothing at all. I was left to myself. I had to pay out of my own
pocket for medical treatment. Can you believe that?"
Ireland also took exception at being asked to move to Birmingham from his home in Manchester.
"Houllier asked me to come and live in Birmingham because it was taking
me 75 minutes to come to training. But there were 15 players in the same
position as me. Some came from London and took more than two hours, but
he only asked me to move," he continued.
"For a start, Birmingham is a c**p city and I wasn't going to make the
effort, especially as I wasn't playing. Might as well be in Manchester
if I had to stay home on match days.
"I don't bear Houllier any grudges; it wasn't him who chose me after all."
Ireland is desperate to play this weekend, adding: "I just want to play and have a manager who really wants me for once.
"I have no idea at the moment who I will be playing for next season. My future is unclear."
Ireland retired from international football with his native Republic of
Ireland four years ago, but he has no regrets and insists he feels
nothing for his homeland, or even his hometown of Cork.
"I don't give a damn for Ireland. Live in Cork? I'd rather shoot myself. I prefer Los Angeles," he said.
And he admits he is not going to be playing for his country again in the future.
"Even at youth level, it p****d me off to go there," he said.
"Everyone came from Dublin. I was the only guy from Cork. I had to take
the train on my own, pay for a taxi, there was no hotel, no grub. It was
handled so amateurishly.
"National teams don't interest me. I have more to do than go off for
three days to play Andorra. And when you are Irish, you are well aware
you'll never win the World Cup.
"I feel nothing for the team. I absolutely don't feel guilty when they
lose and, when they win, at no time do I think I could have been there.
"Even if Ireland had qualified for the World Cup, I wouldn't have gone.
People call for my return, but I have only played five times for them.
The national team and me are ancient history."
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