Moment I Ken not get back

BY

DISAPPOINTED James Mcclean has opened up for the first time over how he felt about the way he was treated towards the end of his Ireland career.

The Wrexham winger (above) was dropped for the first time in 12 years, for the October games against Greece and Gibraltar, after making the move to the League Two side.

Mcclean took issue with the way then manager Stephen Kenny, who gave him his break in senior football at Derry City, reacted to the move.

He added that his final involvement left a “sour taste” – as he bowed out in the November friendly against New Zealand.

“It’s obviously a successful one. It’s a sense of justification,” was how

Mcclean yesterday described Wrexham’s promotion last weekend.

He said he had offers to stay in the Championship, but wanted to do something that was “exciting” and that was “going to be a challenge”.

As for Kenny’s reaction to the move, Mcclean said: “I remember a phone call that I had with the manager of Ireland at the time and I told him about the move to Wrexham, he couldn’t wait to get off the phone.

“Look, I’ll be honest, it leaves a sour taste in my mouth, how my Ireland career ended, because the occasion itself, I got to say goodbye on my terms to the Aviva crowd, which is obviously special.

“But for an end of season friendly game, to not even be given the opportunity to lead the team out and then to be taken off after 66 minutes, not even as a single substitution but as a double substitution, I just thought that was poor and it’s a moment you never get back.”