Stephen Ireland rushed to hospital after a scary injury while playing for Wythenshawe Vets, leaving his wife feeling shaken.
An ambulance was called onto the pitch during Sunday’s CVFL Premier Cup final between Wythenshawe Vets and South Liverpool after Stephen Ireland got badly hurt in the first half.
Ireland, who had a long professional career playing for clubs like Manchester City, Aston Villa, and Stoke City, was representing Wythenshawe—a Sunday League team that’s been getting a lot of attention recently—when the injury happened.
With less than 30 minutes played, the 39-year-old was caught in a tough studs-up challenge. He ended up on the ground in pain, and the game had to stop. A TikTok user who shared the clip said it took about 30 minutes for the ambulance to arrive.
The former Republic of Ireland player was surrounded by friends and family as he got medical help at the Quickline Arena, home of Warrington Rylands. He was then taken to the hospital by ambulance.
The Manchester Evening News reported that the match was called off, and Ireland and his wife, Jess, promised to keep fans updated on his recovery when they can.
Jess shared a message on Instagram: “Thank you to everyone at today’s game who helped in any way. It was such a tough and shocking moment, but the care and support really made a difference.”
She added, “We’re so thankful to the Wythenshawe FC fans, South Liverpool Vets, and everybody at Warrington Rylands—you were all amazing.”
Wythenshawe Vets also posted an update, saying, “Stephen is really grateful for all the support after today’s incident in the Veterans Finals. Big thanks to the paramedics and ambulance team from Warrington Hospital for their quick and professional care.”
They continued, “In true Stephen spirit: ‘Superman will return.’ We’re all behind you, Stephen, and wish you a fast and full recovery.”
As mentioned, Wythenshawe Vets have gone viral because of their strong over-35s team. This season, Ireland has been playing alongside other former pros like Joleon Lescott, Nedum Onuoha, Emile Heskey, Papiss Cisse, Maynor Figueroa, George Boyd, and Oumar Niasse, just to name a few.
Danny Drinkwater, who won the Premier League with Leicester City, has signed on too, and former Manchester United defender Antonio Valencia has also played for the team.
Ireland told SPORTbible, “I just wanted to get out of the house, stay fit, and kick a ball around on a Sunday morning.”
He said, “This isn’t really my thing, but I was invited to play, said yes, and loved it. So I kept playing, and then more ex-pros joined for the same reasons.”