Former West Brom, Sunderland and Stoke City player announces retirement after ‘heartbreaking’ decision

Former West Brom midfielder James McClean has announced his retirement from international football.

The 34-year-old is hanging up his boots and will represent the Republic of Ireland for the final time in a friendly against New Zealand on Tuesday 21 November.

 

Ireland will play EURO 2024 qualifiers against Greece and Gibraltar next week, and they will play two of the last three matches he will play for his country. He has 102 caps for the team, scored 11 goals and participated in 2 European championships after 11 years with his country.

He said in a statement posted on the FAI website:
“It means everyone and many more to be able to wear the blue shirt with honor, taking to the football field – especially at the Aviva Stadium – to represent our great country , standing there singing Amhrán na bhFiann, ready to go on the field. in battle with your compatriots. “Nothing has come close to this. I have given everything I have to ensure that I make my shirt, my fans and my country proud, and I know I have never taken anything for granted. I hope that shows.

“It will be heartbreaking not to participate after this year, but I think now is the right time to step aside without regrets. I lived my own dream and that of every young Irish footballer and represented this country with pride. “Thank you Ireland, it has been a great privilege and as always, an honor.”

McClean joined English football in August 2011 after joining Sunderland from his boyhood club, Derry City. He made 70 appearances for the Black Cats with 11 goals and 8 assists.

He moved to Wigan and made 171 appearances between 2013 and 2015 and 2021 and 2023. Between his two spells at Wigan, he played for West Brom, where he spent three years at The Hawthorn’s after signed by Tony Pulis. .

McClean made 112 appearances for the Baggies following his £1.5 million transfer, with five goals and seven assists. He was sold to Stoke City for £5 million and made 111 appearances there, with 19 assists and 12 goals.

He plays his club football for Wrexham, owned by Ryan Reynolds, these days after leaving Wigan Athletic for a second time. He has signed a one-year contract at the Racecourse Ground, although the Welsh club have the option of an extension.

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Stoke City are not ruling out bringing in a free agent as they navigate an avalanche of injuries.

Alex Neil could be heading to promotion favourites Leicester without 10 players this weekend, including five defenders, although the manager has been typically coy at his pre-match press conference. Ben Wilmot and Ki-Jana Hoever limped out of Stoke’s mid-week clash with Southampton, joining Lynden Gooch, Michael Rose and Enda Stevens in the treatment room.

Gooch and Rose have been nursing minor hamstring and groin injuries respectively and it remains to be seen if this match is too soon while left-back Stevens has been out since picking up a calf injury on Republic of Ireland duty in the last international break.

Under-21s defenders Luke Badley-Morgan and Ian Kamga are also injured, as are centre-back prospects Matty Baker and David Okagbue, who are out on loan at Newport County and Walsall respectively and cannot be recalled outside transfer windows anyway.

Stoke City are not ruling out bringing in a free agent as they navigate an avalanche of injuries.

Alex Neil could be heading to promotion favourites Leicester without 10 players this weekend, including five defenders, although the manager has been typically coy at his pre-match press conference. Ben Wilmot and Ki-Jana Hoever limped out of Stoke’s mid-week clash with Southampton, joining Lynden Gooch, Michael Rose and Enda Stevens in the treatment room.

Gooch and Rose have been nursing minor hamstring and groin injuries respectively and it remains to be seen if this match is too soon while left-back Stevens has been out since picking up a calf injury on Republic of Ireland duty in the last international break.