James McClean aiming to add sparkle to career

Now is not a time to be wistful, but James McClean could be forgiven if his mind was to wander away from international duties now and again, and to a club situation that leaves him in limbo after Wigan Athletic’s relegation to League One.

It is just over three years since he signed a much-improved deal at Sunderland and one that was only due to end this very summer. It was signed on the back of just three whirlwind months, starting with his debut under Martin O’Neill in December 2011.

It looked then like his fellow Derryman had unleashed a star in the making and, though McClean soon came to resemble more a fleeting comet, the memory remains of his combustible energy and fearlessness on the wing when unveiled at the Stadium of Light.