Only a gun to my head would stop me playing for IRELAND

MCCLEAN: I’D STILL TURN UP AFTER A KEANE ROLLICKING

IT TAKES no stretch to imagine what James Mcclean’s reaction would be if Roy Keane bawled him out for not training during Ireland camp.

Mcclean’s respect for Keane is clear, and he reiterated it after yesterday’s open training session at the Aviva Stadium.

“He is what you see,” said Mcclean. “He has that experience and has won so much.

“When he speaks, I listen. I respect him.”

Mcclean wasn’t happy that Harry Arter’s reaction to finding himself in Keane’s crosshairs last May was to miss the two internationals last month.

“You’d have to put a gun to my head for me not to come and play for Ireland,” he declared.

“Everyone is different. I don’t mind the tough approach. I like to think I’m capable of giving it back myself.

“It will take more than a rollicking to stop me from playing for Ireland.”

There have been forests felled discussing Keane’s approach to management – and to manmanagement – and that it is out of kilter in the modern day.

Mcclean has been in enough cross-channel dressing-rooms to paint a picture of how things have changed since he joined Sunderland from Derry City just over seven years ago.

“Everyone is pampered nowadays,” said the veteran of the changing-room at Sunderland, Wigan, West Brom and Stoke.

“Look at the young players coming through, there’s no fear factor whatsoever.

“I remember going in the Sunderland dressing-room – looking around there was John O’shea, Wes Brown and this and that. But everyone sat quiet.

“I was finding my feet, the same when I came with Ireland.

“I had a lot of respect. Young lads now, you can’t say boo to them, you can’t play practical jokes. It’s different now.”

His own background, of course, was more from the school of hard knocks. Otherwise known as the SSE Airtricity First Division.

“I don’t think that toughened me up, I think where I grew up toughened me up,” said Mcclean.

“I’m not saying it was the right route, but you weren’t pampered. You were taking ice baths in a black bin, things like that, walking into training in the rain and walking back.

“We didn’t have luxuries. Especially now in England, the young players, everyone is there hand on foot to do everything for them.

“I just think how you’re brought up, that’s who you are, I don’t think you should change for anybody.” So what has changed for this generation?

“There’s that many anti-this and anti-that,” complained Mcclean. “Everybody has got a problem with everything.

“You just can’t do anything nowadays without someone taking offence to it. The generation now are different.”

Peter Crouch is among those who have highlighted the attitude shift in young players, and in particular their obsession with social media.

“I find that means more to the young lads now, especially at the top clubs where a lot of them don’t want to drop to lower leagues and do the football,” Mcclean said.

“They’d rather stay at Chelsea or City and it’s more for their social media rather than their actual playing careers.

“Some would rather say, ‘I’m a footballer for Man City’, even if they’re not playing for Man City. You’re just a youth team player, rather than being a first-team player for a club like Carlisle, no disrepute (intended). With social media nowadays, it’s all for show.”

Mcclean offended plenty through his own outspoken Twitter offerings.

“My wife’s taken my Twitter password,” he grinned.

“She runs that for me now, which is probably wise.”

Is he older and wiser? “Some would say I am, some would say not,” Mcclean replied.

“I like to think I am.”