Former Premier League midfielder Stephen Ireland has revealed the devastating post-surgery scars he suffered following a recent double leg fracture. The former Republic of Ireland international gave an update on social media after breaking both his tibia and fibula during the Veterans Cup final, requiring surgery.
In a series of Instagram posts on Saturday, Ireland was photographed walking into a medical facility on crutches with the caption: “I’m glad I woke up early in the morning to get the clips and sutures removed.” In another story, he shared a black and white photo of his leg after the cast was removed, with visible scars and stitches. The injury was sustained earlier this month when Ireland played for Wythenshawe Veterans in the Cheshire Veterans Premier Division Cup final against South Liverpool.
The veteran team made headlines earlier this season after fielding a squad filled with Premier League legends and overwhelming their opponents.
In the cup final, Newcastle United’s cult hero Papis Cissé scored a hat-trick, but the match was abandoned due to an injury to Ireland.
This latest update comes after Ireland posted on social media for the first time since the incident. The former Aston Villa and Stoke City midfielder shared footage of the moment his leg broke. The footage shows the opponent burying his head in his hands in the aftermath of the challenge.
The post showed images of Ireland collapsing on the pitch and being treated by paramedics, before being shown lying in a hospital bed before leaving on crutches.
There was uncertainty over the original incident, which took place in Gorsey Lane, Warrington Rylands, until his wife revealed the full extent of her injuries.
In an Instagram post, Ireland’s wife Jessica shared a touching photo of herself wearing a Wythenshawe shirt and holding Ireland’s hand as he lay in a hospital bed.
She writes: “I don’t normally post such personal posts here, but I felt I needed to give an update to those who have messaged me and asked how Stephen is doing.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been able to reply to everyone yet, and I didn’t want you to think I was ignoring your kind consideration.
“Since the incident happened on Sunday morning, I have been in hospital with Stephen and was understandably focused on his recovery.
“Stephen suffered a ‘double bone’ fracture in his leg, requiring surgery as his tibia and fibula were badly broken.
“He underwent surgery last night and thankfully everything went well and he is now on the road to recovery.
“We would like to thank everyone for the overwhelming concern and support and all the lovely messages.
“To everyone who was at the scene when the incident happened and knows how shocking it was, thank you for your immediate action and incredible support on the day.
“He has a tough road ahead of him, but anyone who knows Stephen knows he will be back physically fit as soon as possible.”
