Red Rose’s player of year McLaren won’t

RYAN McLaren has revealed he won’t be returning to Lancashire next season.

The South African overseas signing was last night named the club’s Player of the Year after an impressive first campaign with the Red Rose.

The all-rounder had been keen to return, however, a change to his wife’s job back home means he now won’t be coming back to Emirates Old Trafford in 2018.

“My wife has got quite a big job as an accountant in South Africa which means I need to be at home now,” said 34-year-old McLaren, who wasn’t at the awards ceremony having already returned to his homeland.

“I need to be there for the kids now.

“The original plan was to come back and play, but at this stage of my career family does come first. I still want to play. But six months away from home is a challenge when you have kids.

“But this isn’t the end of my career.

“Physically I feel fine, it is just about managing priorities.

“The sad thing is, I would have liked to have another season to have more of an influence.

“But people forget, players have families to look after.

“I have been in teams in the past where people haven’t seen their kids grow up and seen the kids suffer because of it.

“My personal priority is different to that, and I want to be part of my kids growing up.”

McLaren was former head coach Ashley Giles’ final signing before he left Lancashire, and he became an instant hit at Emirates Old Trafford, producing with both bat and ball as well as being handed the captaincy when Steven Croft