McClean has left Wrexham to sign a multi-year deal with the Candystripes ahead of the start of the new season
James McClean wants to drive Derry City to a League of Ireland title after completing a sensational return to his hometown club.
McClean has left Wrexham to sign a multi-year deal with the Candystripes ahead of the start of the new season.
The 36-year-old last played for Derry City in 2011, but now plans to bring the curtain down on his career at the Brandywell.
He said: “It’s a bit surreal that it’s here and it’s happened, but I can’t wait to get started.
“Wrexham and the way they have dealt with this – an absolute touch of class – they made it as easy as possible to come home. I spoke to the manager and told him the place I wanted to go was home.
“I like challenges in my career, and this is probably one of the best challenges I get to take on.
“This is the last club of my career; this is where I am ending my career. If I were to win a league title here and go out in that way, I couldn’t write the script any better.”
McClean left Derry City more than 14 years ago to sign for Sunderland and went on to enjoy a long and storied career in English football, making close to 600 appearances.
After leaving the Stadium of Light, the Derryman played for Wigan Athletic, West Brom, Stoke City and Wrexham. He won two trophies with Wigan during two separate spells at the club, the FA Cup in 2013 and the League One title in 2022.
Rumours were rife that McClean was eyeing a return to Derry City when leaving Wigan in 2023, but he instead signed for League Two side Wrexham, helping them to achieve two successive promotions.
Now, though, to the delight of Candystripes manager Tiernan Lynch, McClean feels the time is right to return home.
Lynch said: “From my end and the team’s end, it was a no-brainer. What he has done in the game speaks for itself — it does not need me to tell anyone.
“However, what he is going to bring to our changing room – that experience and that discipline – I am absolutely delighted to get him in.
“It just raises the level of everything that we do. All you have to do is have a conversation with him to understand that. The big thing now is that we have to do the work.”
McClean, who won 103 caps for the Republic of Ireland, joins his younger brother Patrick at the Brandywell, whose own return to Derry was confirmed earlier this week.
