A step down to step up for James McClean

If there are no last-minute hitches in the contract discussions with his prospective new employers, then James McClean could be playing against Manchester United at Wembley on Sunday.

Participation in the English top-flight season’s traditional curtain-raiser is Wigan Athletic’s reward for lifting the FA Cup even as they were failing in their bid to stay in the Premier League at the end of what was a definitively topsy-turvy campaign at the club.

For McClean, the chance to play in the weekend’s high-profile showpiece should, at least to some degree, help cushion the blow of knowing that where Wigan went, he now follows — from the Premier League into the Championship.