James McClean's return to his hometown club has turned sour after Derry City told the 37-year-old they intend to terminate his contract, citing a lack of "physical capacity" to fulfil its terms.
McClean signed for Derry City at the start of the 2026 season. According to the Irish Independent, the club have informed him they are ending the deal despite it having two years left to run, claiming he is not fit enough to play or train.
McClean disputes that assessment. He is keen to keep playing and is set to report for training this week, the report states.
The former Wrexham full back has started just 12 of sixth-placed Derry City's 27 league games this season. He is expected to argue that a contract cannot be cancelled unilaterally and that an independent physician should determine his fitness.
It has been a turbulent few weeks for McClean, who has regularly used social media to criticise his club. He also posted a picture showing he was watching his former side Wrexham play a Carabao Cup match at the same time Derry City were playing a home league game.
Homecoming frustrations
In June, McClean hinted at his unhappiness since returning home after 15 years in English football. During a punditry appearance on RTE he said: "Family (are) enjoying being home, probably not so much myself, if I'm being honest. You know, you have a lot of conversations on the phone, and then you come home and you quickly realise that what you hear on the phone is not what you see in reality. There's a lot of factors that's contributed to that, but we'll leave them for another day."
His stance on the poppy
McClean has long spoken about his refusal to wear a poppy, a decision he first made while at Sunderland in 2012 and maintained throughout his career in England despite regular abuse.
In 2024 he said: "The poppy which originally stood for World War 1 and 2 has now been adopted into honouring and remembering British soldiers that have served in all conflicts throughout the world including those who opened fire and murdered 14 innocent civilians on Bloody Sunday Jan 1972, in my home city, as well many other brutal crimes throughout Ireland. That is why I never have and never will wear a poppy. If the poppy's sole purpose was to honour world war 1 and 2 then I would have no issue wearing it, but that's not the case."
He added: "I respect those who do as I am fully aware we have different beliefs and upbringings, I would never force my beliefs on others, I'm not naive or stupid enough to expect the matter to be reciprocated, especially as the poppy is forced now on everyone in the UK and god forbid someone doesn't wear it, the abuse they have to endure."
McClean, who has won more than 100 caps for the Republic of Ireland after choosing them over Northern Ireland, whom he represented at Under-21 level, said he had received "death threats" over his stance.
He said some people would not educate themselves and instead threw abuse, including insults that he "hates our country." He said: "I don't. Some of my best relationships I've made through the years are with people born and raised in England and have completely different beliefs to me.. One thing I never have and never will do, is bend the knee to compromise my convictions."
Death threats and security
Speaking last October on Virgin Media's Living with Lucy, McClean told presenter Lucy Kennedy that his family had feared he would be shot while on international duty after he first refused to wear a poppy in 2012.
"I was getting death threats, people were saying I should be shot," he said. "I was getting bullets in the post, bullets sent to the club. That night, I met up with Ireland. The club had received threats that basically I was going to be shot. The game was on TV. I was going to be shot, this and that."
He said his wife, Erin, was in Newcastle at the time and "panicking," and that security had to be placed outside his hotel room for the night. "Erin's watching the game, she's panicking, she's thinking, 'He's going to be shot on TV.' Thankfully, nothing happened or nothing ever has happened," he said.
He added: "I was getting death threats, people were saying he should be shot and dragged across the Cenotaph. I could have easily just said, 'I'll wear a poppy,' and sold myself out and be known for my football or 'I'll not wear a poppy' and be known as that but I've stayed true to myself."
McClean said six or seven people from the Creggan estate, where he grew up, died on Bloody Sunday. "It frustrates me how people can't see that. How is it even a debate of why I should wear the poppy?" he said.
