Football News

James McClean has launched a blistering broadside at Stephen Kenny, insisting that “disrespectful” treatment of his Ireland swansong leaves a sour taste.

Kenny handed McClean his debut for Derry City in 2008 but the relationship deteriorated following a brief conversation when McClean inform the Ireland manager of his transfer to Wrexham at the start of last season.

Speaking yesterday, the 34-year-old declared their promotion to League One as justification for a move down the divisions that Kenny clearly didn’t feel was conducive to international rigours.

McClean admits Kenny’s attitude persuaded him to quit the international circuit last November, albeit he's amenable to return if his eventual successor requires his services.

The player’s annoyance at the handling of his exit is apparent through his words, even five months on.

From being dropped for the October double-header, the first time over his 12-year Ireland career, he was invited back for a farewell appearance but not in the fashion he’d envisaged.

Being drafted in late as an unused substitute for the final Euro qualifier in Netherlands – when he could have played 90 minutes against Accrington – was perplexing in itself before traditional protocols were dispensed with for a game marketed by the FAI as McClean’s last act in green.

The custom of bestowing the captaincy on a departing stalwart wasn’t granted despite McClean being rolled out in the pre-match press conference to boost derisory ticket sales for a friendly against New Zealand. There was little fanfare made about his goodbye either.

“To be not given the opportunity of leading the team out and then to be taken off after 66 minutes - not even as a single substitution but as a double substitution -

Stephen Kenny James Macclean