'One of the most difficult periods of my life' but James McClean ready for return after Derry City dispute
MCCLEAN SLATE: James McClean insists he is ready to play for Derry City “when called upon” as he looks to put an end to his dispute with the club. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
James McClean insists he is ready to play “when called upon” as he looks to move on from his dispute with Derry City, which he claims has been "one of the most difficult periods" of his life.
McClean’s return to the League of Ireland and to his hometown club hasn’t been as smooth as he envisaged.
Derry’s billionaire owner Philip O’Doherty decided to end McClean’s two-year contract with the Candystripes back in August just 17 games and 1049 minutes into his League of Ireland comeback.
On top of the concerns over his fitness – which the player himself admitted in May could have caused retirement – there was also an uneasiness about his social media activity drawing negativity on the club he started out his professional career at as a teenager.
But the Professional Footballers Association of Ireland, who confirmed they disputed Derry’s reasons for attempting to terminate McClean’s contract, have released a statement on Tuesday aiming to end the turmoil between the player and the club.
“As has been widely reported, we are representing James McClean in a dispute with Derry City FC over the terms of his contract.
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“There has been a lot of conjecture and misinformation about the situation pertaining to James’ medical status and we would like to take this opportunity to clarify matters.
“In short, James has had a hip injury which had been causing intermittent issues for him. This has caused him to miss some games and occasional training sessions. He has sought medical treatment for this and is currently fit and well.
“He has trained fully for the last nine weeks and has made himself available for selection. He recently played in an internal match arranged by the club. He believes he can help the team and has not been provided with a satisfactory reason for being left out of the squad.
“He believes that the reason for this is a dispute which first arose in early August when the chairman of the club stated that his contract had been terminated. As a result of this, he contacted this association and has been provided with legal advice from PFA Ireland’s solicitor, Stuart Gilhooly SC.
“The upshot of this advice has been protracted correspondence between Mr Gilhooly and the club. Instead of terminating the contract as alleged, it transpires that they had in fact set about invoking Section 18 of the Standard Players Contract which states that if a player is deemed to have a permanent incapacity as determined by an agreed and independent physician, then the club is entitled to terminate the contract with six months’ notice.
“To date, no physician, either independent or agreed, has reached such a conclusion. Indeed, an Orthopaedic Surgeon, Mr Desmond Gibson, who saw him at the request of the club as recently as 21 September said he believes he can continue to play football as long as he is not in severe pain. He is not in severe pain and is willing, able and anxious to return to playing for Derry City.
“The club has a duty of care to James, who they signed without conducting a medical. He is much loved native of Derry and highly regarded Irish international centurion.
“We would hope that this matter can be resolved in an amicable and sensible manner and in such a way that would allow James to play again for the club he loves.”
McClean also released a statement for the Derry City fans, outlining his side of the story as well as offering an apology for the way he handled the situation at times.
"This has been one of the most difficult periods of my life, both personally and professionally. When I agreed to come home from Wrexham, I did so in good faith, based on commitments made to me both playing wise and regarding my future after football. I uprooted my family midway through the school year because I believed in the vision presented to me, both for the short term and the long term.
“I accept that some of my actions over the past few months were misjudged, and my frustrations should have remained in-house. I take responsibility for that - and I apologise. Derry City is my club, and I respect everyone who cares about it as much as I do.
“I was asked to help drive standards, to speak up, and to use my experience to further professionalise my hometown club. From the start of the season, I tried to do this to the best of my ability, but I felt when I did my opinions were not well received.
“While I’m happy to hold myself accountable when I am wrong and when my performances have not been to the levels I expect of myself, I cannot understand or accept that I have been treated this way over the past few months.
“For any club to feel it is ok to attempt to terminate a player's contract without any due process or just cause is incomprehensible, and it sets a dangerous precedent for every player in this league.
“I was approaching 37 years old when I signed for Derry City. It is well accepted that any player of that age will have occasional injury issues. I have been open about what my body now faces, and that has not been easy to come to terms with.
“But I am not permanently incapacitated, or anything even remotely close to that. I am capable of contributing and doing well in the League of Ireland. I train as hard and give as much as anyone.
“I will decide when I retire. Nobody else will make that decision for me. When that time comes, my body will tell me. This is my life and my career. I deserve the same duty of care and fairness given to the majority of other players at Derry City FC.
“I am ready to play when called upon."
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