Unmasking the Mystery: Stephen Ireland's Secret World Class 9-a-side Team

Stephen Ireland organises a 9-a-side game in Chesire every week. 

But it’s not an ordinary 9-a-side. It’s only open to retired Premier League players. Yet, it sounds like a few of them still have lots of ability.

We have the inside scoop on who plays and Ireland’s plans for the team. 

The team does not have a name yet so we will refer to them as the Once-Upon-A-Prime.

Here’s a list of the regulars who play for Once-Upon-A-Prime:

• Papiss Cisse

• Oumar Niasse

• Stephen Ireland

• Antonio Valencia

• Phil Barnsley 

• Danny Drinkwater

• Joleon Lescott 

• Danny Simpson

• Ravel Morrison

Stephen Ireland tells Ladbrokes Fan Zone, "I've managed to put together a great group of lads, and we all play together regularly now.”

The comradery between the players is building…

"We go for drinks, socials, games of paddle, runs, anything really. I organise so many games because I just want to get everyone together.”

The old boys still have ability judging by Ireland’s confidence.

"Our 11 is good enough to play in League One, I'm telling you.”

“I'm the best, by a mile! I'm still a top dog, in that group, don't worry about that. I don't think I've lost in something like 48 games, but who's counting?”

Ireland famously claimed to get the better of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes when he played against them. So there is good reason to believe the standard is high. 

Each game is high stakes. The losing team faces forfeits and must cover the cost of the pitch. 

"The losing team has to pay for the pitch, some cost a few hundred quid, some cost £10 per man, it just depends where we're playing.

"There's forfeits, too. We'll vote for the worst player, and they'll have to wear an outfit chosen by the rest of us for a night out. There are shot forfeits when we get back to the bar, and we're constantly stitching each other up.”

The Once-Upon-a-Prime-9s on tour? We’d love to see it. 

“I'd love to take it on the road a bit…”

"We're already planning our Christmas do, and the next step for me is to take this group chat on the road, I think.”

“Maybe go to Ireland and play a team over there, maybe the same in the USA. I think there's something in it; a documentary or a TV show or something... that's my thinking behind it.”

The bottom line: we want to see this 9-a-side team in action for ourselves….

"Every game is carnage because everyone is so competitive. It gets really bad; we've had to start paying for a proper referee and everything, because there always ends up being wars on the pitch. It's madness!”

"People coming to watch, or teams that are on after us, must just be thinking that's not right at all, how rowdy it gets, it's insane.”

"We've had players walk off; their heads have gone so they've jumped in their car and drove off halfway through the game. It's so funny; everyone looks forward to it.”

The team has proved to be a good networking tool for some of the players and managers involved. 

Apparently, Papiss Cissé and Oumar Niasse are still looking good according to Alex Bruce.

Bruce ended up inviting the pair to Macclesfield training to “up the standards”.

Something special is brewing in Chesire and we want to know more. 

The R1 team are enquiring about an old-fashioned 7 vs 7 against Stephen’s side.