Cobh's Ireland set for England - November 24, 2000
Manchester City have managed to sign one of the hottest properties in Irish football. The Maine Road club have beaten off every major British team to get the signature of Cobh Ramblers midfielder Stephen Ireland and the 14-year-old will join the club in the summer after he finishes school.
Cobh, who unleashed the amazing talent of Roy Keane, seem to have found another gem in Ireland. His skill and reading of the game are a credit to him and his coaches, including his father.
Stephen had trials at every major club across the water. His first came at Nottingham Forest and he then tried Celtic before going back to England to Manchester United, Liverpool, West Ham and Tottenham. But after a lot of soul searching he decided on Manchester City.
Cobh secretary Michael Geasley sees a big future for Ireland. He said: "The boy is a natural talent who has a great reading of the game. Despite his ability he is not a selfish player. He knows when to beat a player and knows when to pass.
"His skill has been recognised at the highest level. He was one of 20,000 players taking part in the Bobby Charlton Soccer Skills competition in Manchester a couple of years ago and won it. He then followed that up the next season by finishing joint top."