James McClean

He also scored in the third round as well, scoring in the 82nd minute away at Milton Keynes Dons.

He scored his first Premier League goal of the season in a 3–0 home defeat of Reading on 11 December, exactly twelve months to the day that he made his Sunderland debut.

James Joseph McClean (born 22 April 1989) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a winger for club Wrexham.

McClean began his career at Institute, making one first team appearance as a substitute against Glentoran in the 2007–08 Irish Premier League season.

Institute decided not to renew his contract in the summer of 2008.

McClean made his Derry City first team debut on 1 July 2008 in a League Cup tie at home to Bohemians, opening the scoring in a 4–1 win.

He made his League of Ireland debut for Derry City as a substitute for Kevin McHugh playing against Cork City at Turner's Cross on 8 September 2008.

In his first full season with Derry in the 2009 season the club suffered serious financial problems and the players went weeks without payment.

During this period in November 2009 McClean held talks with English League Two side Lincoln City, but this did not result in a contract, after McClean felt homesick.

Derry finished the season in 4th place but were expelled by the FAI due to breaking regulations by holding secondary, unofficial contracts with players.

They were invited to join the League of Ireland First Division.

In December 2009 McClean was one of the first four players to sign for the new Derry City, along with David McDaid, and the McEleney brothers — Shane and Patrick.

McClean scored eight goals in 33 appearances in the 2010 season helping Derry return to the top-flight.

McClean began to attract more interest from English clubs in the 2011 season with Peterborough United making some unsuccessful bids.

He also attracted interest from Everton.

In August 2011 Derry accepted an offer from Sunderland for McClean.

McClean joined Sunderland on 9 August 2011 for a fee of £350,000, signing a three-year contract.

Upon signing McClean, manager Steve Bruce indicated that he was "one for the future", and also hinted that he would be in the reserve team until Christmas.

His form in the development squad was capped by a reserve-debut goal in a 4–3 win over Tyne–Wear derby rivals Newcastle United, earning him a place on the Sunderland bench.

Despite never making an appearance under Bruce, he made his debut for the first team in Martin O'Neill's first game in charge on 11 December, a 2–1 win over Blackburn Rovers and was credited for the comeback which saw his side overturn a 1–0 deficit, after coming on as a substitute for Jack Colback in the second half.

McClean won Sunderland's Young Player of the Year Award, at the end of the 2011–12 season.

In February 2012, McClean received international clearance from FIFA which made him eligible to play for the Republic of Ireland, making his debut against the Czech Republic in the same month.

He has since represented the nation at 2012 and 2016 Euro Championships.

McClean grew up in the Creggan area of Derry and attended Holy Family Primary School and St. Peter's High School.

He played Gaelic football with Seán Dolans GAC before concentrating on association football.

McClean made his first start for Sunderland in their 1–0 victory over Manchester City on 1 January 2012, and scored his first senior goal for the Black Cats in a 4–1 win against Wigan Athletic two days later; on 8 January, he scored and assisted Sebastian Larsson in a 2–0 win at Peterborough United in the third round of the FA Cup.

McClean provided the assist for Stéphane Sessègnon's opening goal in Sunderland's 2–0 victory over Swansea City on 21 January, and got another assist in the equalising goal for Fraizer Campbell in the next round of the cup against Middlesbrough on 29 January.

Ahead of the replay for that fixture, Middlesbrough manager Tony Mowbray used McClean as an example for young players to follow.

McClean turned provider again in Sunderland's 3–0 victory over Norwich City, assisting Sessègnon's goal, then scored the only goal in a win over Stoke City on 4 February in snowy conditions at the Britannia Stadium.

A week later, he opened the scoring in Sunderland's 2–1 home loss to Arsenal after Per Mertesacker injured himself.

In August 2012, McClean scored his first two goals of the 2012–13 in the second round of the League Cup against Morecambe.

McClean played with Trojans, Institute, his hometown club Derry City, and Sunderland before moving to Wigan Athletic in August 2013.

McClean fell out of favour with the Sunderland supporters after he refused to wear a poppy in the run-up to Remembrance Day, which led to his departure in August 2013.

He spent two seasons at Wigan, claiming their player of the year award in the latter, and then returned to the Premier League by joining West Bromwich Albion in June 2015.

On 23 March, Sunderland announced that McClean had signed a new contract intended to force him to stay at the club until the summer of 2015.

A day later, he helped them to a 3–1 victory over relegation-threatened Queens Park Rangers by assisting the opening goal for Nicklas Bendtner and later scoring by himself.

Speaking in 2015 McClean says he was 'hung out to dry' by Sunderland.

McClean spent three season with the Baggies before joining Stoke City in July 2018.

McClean re-signed for Wigan Athletic in August 2021.

McClean was born and brought up in Derry and played for the Northern Ireland national under-21 football team, but declined a call-up to the senior squad because he wanted to play for the Republic of Ireland.