Ireland 'excited' to be part of Villa family

Soccer:Stephen Ireland has completed his move from Manchester City to Aston Villa as part of the deal that sees England midfielder James Milner move in the opposite direction.

Ireland passed a medical for his new club today to bring an end a long-running saga held up in recent days by the fomer Ireland international's demand for compensation from City.

Essentially, the Corkman was a €9.7 million makeweight in a €31.4 million player-plus-cash exchange between the clubs after he settled for around half of the €2.4 million he had demanded from the club he had represented for the last eight years.

It was a somewhat acrimonious end to what at one stage looked like a very promising career at City but this afternoon the midfielder was looking forwards, not back.

"I have plenty of personal ambitions," Ireland told avfc.co.uk. "I want to get back to playing the way I can - I haven't played 90 minutes in nearly eight or nine months, which isn't normal really for me.

"I've kind of forgotten the feeling what it is like to come off after a game feeling tired, winning or losing. I'm not used to sitting out for so long.

"So for me, I want to get back to playing at the top of my game and I want to work hard for my team-mates.

"I want to see if my team-mates and myself can push on and achieve something massive this season.

"Hopefully I can come here and build on that and help Aston Villa push on to better targets and reach higher goals. Hopefully I can be of benefit to the team.

"I think we have got a good bunch of young lads here who can go on and achieve something for themselves and for the club as well. We've got a very good squad."

Interim Villa manager Kevin McDonald, at the helm since Martin O'Neill resigned days before Milner scored in their season-opening 3-0 win over West Ham, has welcomed Ireland's arrival.

"Stephen is a very gifted, inventive player and he links up play probably more than James in many ways," he said today. "It is sad to see James go but it is a great boost for the club that Stephen is coming in."

City boss Roberto Mancini told mcfc.co.uk: "I hope things go well for Stevie at Villa. He is also a very good player and he has played a big part in City's history. I think he will enjoy the change of being at another club and I hope he does well for Aston Villa."

Ireland, who will be 24 on Sunday, looked set for a great future at Eastlands after breaking into the first team as a teenager and then picking up the club's player of the year award for the 2008/09 season. However, his opportunities dried up once Mancini replaced Mark Hughes last autumn and the Italian made it clear his future lay elsewhere.

He may make his debut against Newcastle on his birthday this weekend and could embarrass City if he rediscovers his best form at Villa.

Since taking over from Hughes at City, Mancini has continued to spend heavily on players thanks to the backing of owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan, with Ireland and Craig Bellamy, who moved on to Cardiff this week, effectively frozen out.

Villa owner Randy Lerner is unlikely to embark on such a spree, so Ireland can expect to have a run in the team, thanks to Milner's move in the opposite direction creating a vacancy in central midfield.

"My number one target is to work hard for my team-mates, show them what I can bring to the table, show them they can rely on me and that I am going to work hard for them week in, week out," added Ireland. "When I get my chance to get on the ball, hopefully I'll shine as well.

"I am really excited. I have only been here a day but I know what it is about already. It is a family club, I've seen a lot of happy faces here and a lot of friendly faces, so I am really excited for the future here."

Milner, 24, has signed a five-year contract with City after he completed his medical late last night. He could make his City debut in their Premier League clash with Liverpool at Eastlands on Monday.

"I am very happy to have James with us, everybody knows we have admired him for some time," said Mancini today. "He is an excellent midfielder who can play in a number of positions. This is important for the team and I am looking forward to seeing him play for us. We have a very strong squad and this signing is a very important one for us.

"James is already a very good player who has proved he can play at the very top level. But he is also young and a good character, I think he can also improve and be a great player for Manchester City for a long time."

Milner's future had been the subject of ongoing speculation since Villa rejected a bid of around €22 million from City in May. O'Neill revealed last month the midfielder had asked for a move away from Villa Park and had refused to sign a new contract.

Villa's decision to sell Milner and how much of the fee O'Neill would be able to reinvest in the transfer market were rumoured to be key factors in the Northern Irishman's shock resignation last week.

Under O'Neill, Milner developed into one of England's top midfielders last season, proving a revelation after moving from the wing into the centre. He was the principal figure behind Villa's ultimately unsuccessful push for a Champions League spot and his form earned him a starting spot in three of England's four World Cup games in South Africa.

Indeed, Milner was one of the few players to emerge with his reputation intact from a disappointing tournament and City continued their pursuit on his return.

Milner becomes City's eighth signing of the transfer window and follows in the footsteps of former Villa team-mate Gareth Barry, who moved to Eastlands last summer.