Winger’s Wigan move a ‘backwards step’

Niall Quinn has said James McClean has “big questions to ask himself” and needs to concentrate on his football, as he described the winger’s move to Wigan Athletic as a “backwards step”.

Quinn was Sunderland chairman when McClean signed for the club in August 2011 for just under e400,000 and remains in contact with the 24-year-old. Despite that, the Sky Sports pundit had strong words for McClean at the broadcaster’s new season launch. The winger’s form has badly dipped since initially catching the eye so impressively towards the end of the 2011-12 season, and he has also got himself involved in a series of controversies through his Twitter account. Quinn feels it is time for McClean to focus on his career.

“I wouldn’t have predicted it a year ago and maybe just over a year and a half ago when he burst on the scene,” Quinn said of the move.