PFA Ireland have issued a statement on issues currently surrounding former West Bromwich Albion, Sunderland and Wrexham star James McClean.

The experienced winger has been the subject of a contract dispute with his home town club and League of Ireland outfit, Derry City, and the aforementioned trade union have broken their silence on the matter, as has been well documented in recent times.

McClean has made over 100 appearances for the Republic of Ireland national team since his debut in February 2012 and after a long career in the English game, which included several spells in the Championship, he returned to the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium in January. But it is a spell that has not gone to plan for everyone concerned.

PFA Ireland statement on James McClean’s current predicament at Derry City

McClean began his professional career with Institute in 2007 and moved to Derry City the following year where he made 88 appearances in all competitions and scored 18 times before going to Sunderland under Steve Bruce in 2011.

The 37-year-old first tasted EFL football with Wigan Athletic in the 2013/14 Championship season, before also featuring for the Baggies, Stoke City and the Red Dragons in all three divisions directly below the Premier League.

McClean helped Wrexham to two successive promotions into the second tier before rejoining Derry in January, since which he has played 17 matches in the League of Ireland Premier Division with four assists.

But it was claimed in August that Derry were looking to cancel his contract because of a hip ailment and he has not featured in a league game since a 4-2 defeat to Waterford on July 3.

The PFA Ireland are currently representing McClean in the legal dispute with Stuart Gilhooly SC advising the player.This counsel has led to a lengthy correspondence between Mr Gilhooly and the club. Instead of terminating the contract as alleged, it turns out they had actually gone about invoking Section 18 of the Standard Players Contract which states that if a player is deemed to have a permanent incapacity as determined by an agreed and independent physician, then the club is entitled to terminate the contract with six months notice,” part of a lengthy statement read.

James McClean Championship Stats

Looks

237

Objectives

24

Assists

39 “No independent or agreed physician has made such a decision so far. In fact an Orthopaedic Surgeon Mr Desmond Gibson who saw him at the request of the club as recently as 21st September indicated he believes he can continue to play football as long as he is not in significant discomfort. He is not in bad pain and is ready, willing and anxious to get back out there playing for Derry City.”

James McClean makes statement as Derry City legal case drags on

McClean’s last appearance for the club was in the FAI Cup second round fixture on July 17th, a 3-0 win over Tolka Rovers and it has predictably angered the former international.

It’s not the first time, nor will it be the last, that a player has returned to his hometown club looking for success and that has made the current predicament particularly difficult for the winger to swallow.

A passage from McClean’s own statement in the above-mentioned press release read: “This has been one of the hardest times of my life, personally and professionally. “I came home from Wrexham in good faith on pledges made to me both playing wise and about my future beyond football. I moved my family in the middle of the school year because I believed in the vision that was offered to me, short-term and long-term.

He also said that the attempted cancellation of his contract sets a ‘dangerous precedent’ for any League of Ireland player, and that it will be his choice over his eventual retirement. ““I am ready to go when called upon,” he also reiterated.

McClean fitness admission preceded James McClean situation

2026 has not been the happiest of years for McClean, who confessed back in April that “for the past few years I have been playing through difficulties with my hip”.

Indeed, anyone who saw him in action at some of his previous EFL clubs will appreciate the reality the winger was at times putting his body on the line for the cause, including Wigan and Wrexham, where he won promotion three times between 2022 and 2025 combined.

Those aforementioned words undoubtedly give more meaning to the problem but what is next for McClean at his hometown club remains to be seen, since they only have a handful of fixtures left this season, including an FAI Cup semi-final versus Galway United on Saturday.