Ireland has bene linked with a summer move away from Eastlands due to a lack of first-team action.
“This season has been hard for him, not finding a starting place,” Santa Cruz said.
“But it is always going to be hard to start all the time when you are at a club that is getting new players. It’s very hard for everyone.
“Stephen is a very nice guy and a fantastic player. Everybody would be very disappointed to see him leave.”
