JRR TOLKIEN’S CLASSIC middle-earth saga The Lord of the Rings is Stephen Ireland’s favourite book.

The Aston Villa midfielder revealed his pick as part of Premier League Reading Stars, a project to improve literacy among British youths.

“Reading is good, it’s good for the brain,” Ireland said. “I’ve three young kids and I read to them every night before they go to bed. I think it’s good for the kids to use their imagination and get lost in a story.”

Ireland’s favourite read for adults was the autobiography of an Aston Villa legend, Paul McGrath’s Back from the Brink.

“He was a massive player, a great player, and someone I really looked up to when I was growing up in Ireland.

“The book’s a really good read and a really good insight into his life. You see the struggles he went through and how he managed to deal with that.”

Among the other picks by the 20 players participating in the scheme was On China, the seminal work by former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, chosen by ex-QPR man Ryan Nelsen and Adrian Goldworthy’s The Complete Roman Army, chosen by Wigan’s David Jones.

Is this the playlist for Alex Ferguson’s final game at Old Trafford?