On-loan Aston Villa man Stephen Ireland has until the end of the season to impress Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew, and convince him that he deserves a permanant deal.
Ireland, 24, has not managed to gain a regular first team place at Aston Villa after his move from Manchester City for £8m, in a deal that saw James Milner go in the opposite direction. And the Republic of Ireland international, who has been injured since joining the Magpies in January, has just six games to prove himself.
Talking to the Express and Star, Pardew said: “I don’t think there’s pressure on Stephen as a player because he’s already proven he is a very good player at Manchester City.
“The question with Stephen is whether he can do it in a black and white shirt. We’ve got this period between now and the end of the season where he has to show he can.
“If we don’t see it in the next six games, it’s highly unlikely we are going to bring him here permanently.”
