Stephen Ireland has been keeping busy during his international exile with trips to the tattoo parlor.
 
Judging by the picture of the on-form winger taken after City’s defeat to Hamburg in Germany last week, the Cobh man has filled up his spare time by getting tattoos of beckhamesque-type proportions.
 
Do you like Mr. Ireland’s choice of back art? Is he really an angel that is offering City their only hope as the richest club in the world club stumbles from defeat to defeat?
 
Or is he too busy getting tats to be bothered helping his country qualify for the World Cup?
 
Either way, that's a lot if ink-induced pain for the enigma that is Ireland.