James McClean’s move back home to Derry is exciting
James McClean and his brother Patrick sign for their hometown club Derry City. Photo: INPHO/Lorcan Doherty
Last Saturday saw the announcement of James McClean’s return to the League of Ireland as he signed for his hometown club, Derry City.
It was expected to be announced in the summer, but for one reason or another, it has been accelerated, and it is a brilliant signing not only for Derry City but also for the league itself.
The publicity it will bring to the league is excellent. It is not very often that a player who has over 100 caps for his country signs for a club in the league. Damien Duff was the last player to make a century of appearances for his country to play here when he signed for Shamrock Rovers back in 2015.
While he didn’t have the impact on the pitch that he probably would have liked too he certainly has had a huge impact on the Shamrock Rovers underage setup and the League of Ireland itself when he led Shelbourne to the league title two seasons ago.
Some people on social media are labelling this signing as a good PR move, and that James is too old, so it is not going to work out because ‘his legs are going’. I think the above is untrue. Not all 36- or 37-year-olds are old players whose legs are gone, and I'm an example of that.
James has always kept himself in unbelievable condition and has played almost twenty games in the Championship this year in England, so he is coming from a higher standard than where I was playing in the UK.
When I came home, I felt that playing in Ireland was going to be easier for me, but not in the sense of the level of the game here, but more the fact that there was a lower volume of games here for me to play in, which would be good for my body. There is only one cup competition here, although Derry are in European action this summer, so they will be hoping that adds quite a few games to their season. It will still be similar, or less, to what he was playing a season in England.
He is obviously going to bring a lot of experience to an already experienced Derry City side, but the thing that will help the club the most is how well he knows the place and how willing he is to fight for the badge on his chest.
That, combined with his ability to play in numerous positions on the pitch, gives the manager Tiarnan Lynch added flexibility. McClean could play anywhere from left back, where he played before he went to Sunderland back in 2011, to playing off the striker or as a striker, where he has done a really good job at times.
Derry will be hoping his presence will boost season ticket sales and game attendances, which will hopefully happen because it will only be good for the game growing here, with more eyes on the league and more bums on seats too.
It was a family affair over the weekend for the McClean family, as there was another homecoming on Friday when his brother Patrick was signed from Sligo Rovers for an undisclosed fee to join Derry City for a third time in his career. He had only signed for Sligo in the July transfer window and was excellent for them, and a huge reason why Sligo stayed away from the relegation zone.
He not only shored up their defence but also gave them a serious attacking threat from set-plays, chipping in with a few goals himself while causing havoc for the players marking him.
James McClean’s impact on the pitch is sure to be felt. He is a hometown boy returning to finish his career at his boyhood club, but this isn’t just a riding out into the sunset for him. I believe his signing has turned Derry into serious title contenders and possible favourites as of now.
For me, it will still be Shamrock Rovers who everyone has to aim at, because they have been there and done it so many times, with Stephen Bradley knowing exactly how to rotate his squad and keep them happy while doing so.
That is the advantage they have over Derry as of now. That is not to say Tiarnan Lynch won’t be able to do that, but the question mark would be there at any club until they are able to show they can do it.
