‘He never went out and sought fake friends or crowds to fit in with. James is very principled in that he’s his own man’
IN THE Derry City dressing room, the teetotallers were in the minority.
“It was uncommon,” says Eugene Ferry, a sixth form classmate of McClean at St Peter’s High who played in goals for the Candystripes’ reserves. A spell with local Irish League outfit Institute had frustrated McClean and he was keen to get a foot in the door with the club he’d always wanted to represent. Ferry spoke with staff about his mate’s situation and set the wheels in motion.
They became firm friends with an aversion to alcohol bonding them. Donegal lad Rory Kelly, another goalkeeper and nondrinker, quickly became part of the group.
“There was David McDaid as well who didn’t really drink either,” says Ferry, whose family had Creggan roots. “We would still go out together – I was the driver – but we would always go home at the same time. James wouldn’t even take a bag of chips.”
McClean was firm on his approach to alcohol. When in the company of drinkers, he would not get sucked into buying a round, an approach that has lasted to this day.
“He’s never taken a drink so he doesn’t see the point of getting it for anyone,” says Eugene. “He’s not tight, he’s as generous a guy as you’ll meet. He’ll buy food until the cows come home but not drink.”
Talented players from their generation had succumbed to it. “When they got to 22/23 they were probably looking at James thinking, ‘Maybe if I didn’t drink...’ but it was too late,” says Eugene.
McClean didn’t need it to be happy. Rory was responsible for a landmark night on the town, a date with his then girlfriend where they both brought a companion along.
Rory arrived with James and his now ex-girlfriend brought Erin Connor. That was the start of James and Erin, a relationship that has grown into a marriage and a family of three young children.
“I know Erin’s family,” says O’Doherty. “And she has a good business head. It was a good match.”
Eugene and Rory became part of McClean’s tight inner circle along with a small group of childhood pals from Creggan. “He’s always had the same people around him,” says Rory. “He never went out and sought fake friends or crowds to fit in with. James is very principled in that he’s own man. He’s very loyal.”
That core group was a crutch when he was elevated to stardom. It took him a while to get there, despite his eagerness to make an impression at Derry.
Eugene chuckles as he describes an 11 v 11 with the seniors on his first day where the cub gave the old timers hell, and Rory speaks about McClean’s lack of respect for big reputations, for seasoned pros with hundreds of games on the CV.
The fresh-faced firebrand said little in the dressing room but was brimming with confidence once he crossed the white line. He proved that theory by scoring on his debut, a League Cup game with Bohemians in 2008, where Owen Heary was his direct opponent. McClean had walked to The Brandywell with his boots in a brown paper bag.
But he had to wait another year and a half to become a key first-team player with Derry’s demotion to the First Division due to financial irregularities the catalyst.
When uncertainty lingered, a move to Lincoln was agreed but his pals felt it might be too soon for the homebird to fly the nest.
Derry got their act together and Lincoln boss Chris Sutton agreed to rip up the contract provided he didn’t move to another English club. A sliding door moment.
By the summer of 2011, Derry were in the top flight, the aggressive and powerful winger was in demand and Sunderland made their move. Six months later, he burst onto the Premier League stage.
“We were scratching our heads,” says Waxsy, “And saying, ‘Is this happening? Is it real?’ And then when the big contract came, it was like a storm. That was crazy, unbelievable.”
“He was a late bloomer,” says Eugene. “And I always say he wasn’t noticed for a while because scouts missed just how consistent he was and how he approached every match the same way. It was just another game, and he took that attitude with him into the Premier League.”
After a bad performance with Derry, McClean would get the running gear on and head off back up Sheriff’s Mountain. He was hard to stop after the good performances too.
In England, he hit the ground running in a manner which left people wondering just how far he could go.
But what goes up must come down. The fairytale couldn’t last forever.