... Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert has hailed the quality of Stephen Ireland and is determined to get the best out of the midfielder.
Paul Lambert: "Stephen is a naturally gifted footballer, really naturally gifted.
"I don't know what happened to him the last bit (of his time here), but it is up to us to get the best out of him.
"He is a really talented player, really clever. We have to pull together what he is capable of as a team. The team is always more important than the individual.
"You are only as good as the person next to you. I'm a great believer in that.
"I think the way Stephen plays you try and give him licence to make things happen.
"To be creative is a really hard thing to be and he has got that creativity in his armoury."