Manchester City midfielder
Stephen Ireland has detailed his fitness regime AWAY from his club
duties.
He revealed to the Sunday Mirror: "What I do is a bit
unusual, I suppose.
"I don't think there's many footballers who go kick-boxing until
midnight because they think it will give them an edge on a Saturday
afternoon, but it has worked for me.
"I did it last summer, when I was at the crossroads of my
career, not really knowing whether I had a future at City.
"And I did the same again this summer, only this time I worked
even harder."
He added: "I'd drop my kids off every morning at school at
8.45am then go up to Glossop training until about 1pm.
"After collecting the kids and taking them home, I'd then go
back up to the gym again around seven o'clock and stay until
midnight. I did that every day, Monday to Friday.
"I'd go running in the morning and at night I would work on the
weights. It was a lot of running up hills and power stuff -
explosive kicking and stuff like that.
"At night I'd be working on all my physical stuff, body and
strength. I'd be at it for five, six hours or more and it's the
reason why I think I now come into my own at the end of
matches.
"For most of the game I have to be more disciplined than I was
last year because of how the team is set up. But as soon as the
75th minute comes I'm gone.
"That's when I'm on my own in terms of running box to box,
gambling on things.
"If you look at most of my goals - like the one at Blackburn on
the opening day of the season - teams switch off and I'm still at
it. I've got that energy and that desire to keep going."