O’Neill salutes scoring sensation McClean

Sunderland boss Martin O’Neill has expressed his delight at the rapid rise of Black Cats winger James McClean, a player he knew nothing about only two months ago.

Republic of Ireland-qualified Derry-born McClean’s move to the Wearside outfit, a £350,000 transfer from Derry City, went relatively unnoticed during a period of heavy recruitment at the Stadium of Light last summer, and for the first four months of the season he did not make a first-team appearance.

That all changed when O’Neill succeeded Steve Bruce in early December, with the new manager handing McClean his senior debut by bringing him off the bench in his first game in charge.