'It's been manic... James is a Derry player': Connolly coy on McClean situation
The week for Derry City interim manager Mark Connolly has been described as 'manic' due to the ongoing speculation regarding the future of veteran winger James McClean. Despite reports suggesting that the club might have attempted to terminate his contract, Connolly has clarified that McClean remains a player at Brandywell.
Connolly, who took over from Tiernan Lynch last week, attended an open training session with young fans and signed autographs as part of Féile Derry 2026 celebrations. He also participated in a training session on Wednesday morning. During an interview, Connolly was non-committal when asked about the situation, stating that McClean is still employed by the club.
The 37-year-old McClean has faced criticism due to his chronic hip injury and concerns over his physical capabilities. However, Connolly refused to discuss these issues, saying: 'That's something I won't be commenting on.'
Connolly emphasized that his main focus is on managing the team and providing as much information to players as possible. He confirmed that McClean has trained sometimes but not others due to his age.
On the upcoming Club Orange FAI Cup second round clash with UCD, Connolly refused to reveal whether McClean would be involved in the game, stating: 'That's something I'll not be commenting on.'
Despite the speculation and rumors, Connolly reiterated that James McClean is a Derry City player. He added: 'Ultimately he has trained sometimes and not trained sometimes due to his age but yeah, James McClean is a Derry City player and that's really it moving forward.'
