Wrexham captain James McClean leaves to rejoin Derry City | OneFootball

Wrexham captain James McClean has left to join Derry City after agreeing a severance with the Championship club. It ends a successful two and a half years in north Wales.

According to NY Times, the Republic of Ireland international spent three years at Derry early in his career and supports the club. The 36-year-old will link up with his younger brother Patrick.

Manager Phil Parkinson said the time was right for McClean and his family, and that he had long wanted to settle back home. He added McClean would have featured if he had stayed, but competition on the left includes Cacace, George Thomason and Ryan Longman.

Parkinson praised McClean’s drive, mentality and professionalism, saying he set standards for younger players as Wrexham climbed the divisions. He noted Derry’s season starts in February, giving McClean time to meet team-mates and prepare.

The move closes nearly 15 years in English football, encompassing 600-plus games and two promotions with Wrexham. His refusal to wear a poppy in 2012 while at Sunderland brought death threats and sustained abuse, rooted in his Derry upbringing on the Creggan estate and Bloody Sunday.

That abuse continued after he joined Wrexham, with opposition fans regularly targeting the Irishman, who has 103 caps. His final act for the club was a missed penalty in the FA Cup third-round shoot-out against Nottingham Forest, yet Wrexham still won 4-3.

McClean had 18 months remaining after a one-year extension last summer, made 108 appearances, including 15 as a substitute, and scored eight goals. He was absent as Wrexham’s play-off hopes suffered a setback with Saturday’s 2-1 defeat by Norwich City.

Source: NY Times