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#4 Stephen Ireland
Quite surprisingly, Stephen Ireland has made 55 league appearances for Stoke City and has now played in the Premier League for 12 years without dropping a division, playing for Manchester City, Aston Villa, Newcastle and then Stoke.
However, a lot of people were under the assumption he had moved down the divisions or abroad.
Ireland missed the whole of last season due to injury after breaking his leg in training last May. He has even been given a new six month contract to continue his rehabilitation, but it is fairly likely that once he is fit again, he will not be playing in the Premier League.
He has not made a single start in the Premier League since the 2014/15 season, making it hard for any Premier League club to consider signing the player at all.
In May 2009, City rewarded Ireland for his great performances that season with their player of the year award, as well as a five-year contract.
However, Roberto Mancini arrived and he was frozen out by new signings, eventually signalling the end of Ireland’s City career and a downward spiral from then on.
