Stephen Ireland left Bolton Wanderers today, filling a huge void that Phil Parkinson and his squad may struggle to fill.
Ireland has had a huge impact on the club since joining earlier in the season, with his two development squad appearances going down in club folklore. Fans may also remember that virtuoso performance against someone, or that goal that went from 40 yards against someone. Or something.
There have been rumours that the club may divert next month’s wages to the funding of a statue of the modern-day club legend. The plan is to place the tribute alongside those built for other club legends, such as Simeon Slavchev, Dietmar Hamann and Oscar Perez, which are all situated inside the Luke Brattan Memorial Garden.
In all seriousness though, it wasn’t a move that worked out well. It could have done, but Ireland obviously seemed nowhere near getting into a position to make an impact for us, and given the club’s state at the moment, it was one wage we could really do without having to pay.