Former Aston Villa midfielder Stephen Ireland has revealed gruesome post-surgery scars after suffering a double leg break while playing for Wythenshawe Vets in a veterans cup final.
Social Media Update
The ex-Republic of Ireland international took to social media on Saturday to share his recovery progress following surgery to repair both his tibia and fibula. In a series of Instagram posts, Ireland was shown walking into a medical facility on crutches with the caption: "Nice early morning wake up to get clips/sutures out." He also shared a black-and-white photo of his leg out of a cast, revealing visible scars and stitches.
The Injury
The injury occurred earlier this month during a match for Wythenshawe over-35s in the Cheshire Veterans Premier Division Cup final against South Liverpool. The game was abandoned after Ireland's horrific leg break, which occurred at Warrington Rylands' Gorsey Lane. Newcastle United cult-hero Papiss Cisse had scored a hat-trick before the incident.
Ireland's first social media post since the injury included a video of the leg-breaking challenge, showing opposition players reacting in shock. The post also featured images of Ireland receiving medical attention on the pitch, lying in a hospital bed, and leaving on crutches.
Wife's Update
Ireland's wife, Jessica, posted a touching photograph holding her husband's hand as he lay in a hospital bed wearing his Wythenshawe shirt. She wrote: "I wouldn't usually do such a personal post on here but I just felt I needed to update everyone who has been messaging and asking how Stephen is doing. Stephen incurred a 'both-bone' break to his leg, his tibia and fibula were badly broken and therefore he needed surgery. He came out of surgery last night and thankfully all went well, he is now on the road to recovery."
She thanked everyone for their support and praised those who provided immediate assistance at the scene.
Wythenshawe Vets
Wythenshawe Vets have become a global phenomenon, assembling a Sunday league dream team featuring former Premier League stars such as Cisse, Joleon Lescott, Emile Heskey, Oumar Niasse, Maynor Figueroa, Antonio Valencia, and Danny Drinkwater. The over-35s side remains unbeaten after 10 matches in the Cheshire Veterans League, with a goal difference of 77 and a six-point lead over Parklands (Widnes). They have already won the Manchester FA Veterans Cup, thrashing East Manchester 9-2 in last month's final.
Earlier this month, Ireland was confirmed as one of the headline names set to represent Wythenshawe at the $1 million TST competition in North Carolina, which begins at the end of May.
