Ireland signs three-year Stoke deal

LONDON - Irish midfielder Stephen Ireland has signed a new three-year contract with Stoke City, the Premier League club announced on Tuesday.

The 27-year-old joined Stoke on loan from Aston Villa last year and after making the deal permanent in January, he has now committed himself to the Britannia Stadium until 2017.

Ireland's career dipped after he joined Villa in 2010, but he has been revitalised under Stoke manager Mark Hughes, with whom he previously worked at Manchester City.

"It's important for every player to feel wanted and to be a part of a family and to be honest, I haven't had that for a long, long time," Ireland told the Stoke website.

"Thankfully I have felt that warmth here at Stoke and truth be told, I couldn't really be in a better place than I am at the moment.

"For that, I have to thank the gaffer immensely because he is the main reason why I came here in the first instance, and of course, he is a big factor in why I am delighted to agree this new deal now."

Hughes said: "We're delighted that Stephen has committed himself to us. He's an outstanding player; I think we've seen that in the time that he's been with us.

"He's still a young man and we're arguably getting him at a time in his career when he should be at the peak of his powers. I think it's a great opportunity, both for Stephen and the club."