Ex-Sunderland, Wigan Athletic and Stoke City winger, 36, completes hometown transfer move

Former Sunderland, Wigan Athletic and Stoke City winger James McClean has completed a move from Wrexham to hometown club Derry City, bringing an end to his spell in north Wales.

The 36-year-old departs despite having been under contract at Wrexham until the summer of 2027, with the club agreeing to release him so he could return to Ireland and finish his career where it began. McClean made more than 100 appearances for Wrexham in all competitions, scoring eight goals and playing a key role in the club’s recent rise through the divisions.

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson confirmed the decision followed discussions with the player, who had made clear his desire to return home. “Jimmy had an opportunity to go back to Ireland, and I had a good chat with him last week,” Parkinson said. “The time's right for him and his family. He always wanted to settle back in his hometown, and he's got the opportunity to go and finish his career there.

“He's been a great servant for us, and I've really enjoyed working with him. He's been an important player over the last few years with his drive, determination, his mentality and professionalism, and we wish him and his family all the best.”

Confirmation of McClean’s departure came shortly before Wrexham’s 2-1 defeat to Norwich City, with the club’s chief executive, Mike Williamson, outlining the club’s stance on supporting players’ personal decisions. Speaking to BBC Radio Wales Sport, Williamson said: “We've been a club that's always been supportive of what players are looking to do and giving them the opportunities that they look for.

“That's come straight from Rob [Mac] and Ryan [Reynolds], where they've shown with some of the players who aren't part of the project and the journey as you go forward and move up, they've always done right by the players. Making sure when they have an opportunity to do something that they feel is important to them and special to them, that we support them 100 per cent. It's the same sort of situation with Jimmy.”

What has Régis Le Bris said ahead of West Ham?

Sunderland’s win leaves them sitting in a very impressive ninth position in the Premier League table, but Le Bris insists no one will be getting carried away as attentions turn to West Ham, who beat Spurs over the weekend. “Every game is important, and winning in the Premier League is not easy,” Le Bris said.

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“I think we have to remind ourselves how tough it is to win a game in this league. This one, I'm really pleased because it was with maturity and with quality on the pitch. We solved progressively the whole problem of the game and created chances. We might have scored even one or two more goals at the end, and it's a good three points. We keep going step by step. We have seven more to win to reach [out first target] of 40 points.

“And I repeat, it's so difficult to win points in this league. So just step by step. We'll have another opportunity at West Ham but it will be a tough gam and we'll see. If we can get three points, we'll be happy, and then it will be 36. So it's not achieved once again. So we go step by step, hopefully with consistency, maturity and then we'll see.”

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