Sometimes stars and players just come out of nowhere. Take ex-Derry City star James McClean who has spurred on Sunderland’s revival and has a chance of making Ireland’s squad for Euro 2012. His rise has been nothing short of meteoric this season. He joined the Black Cats in August 2011 for just £350,000 with Steve Bruce claiming that the sprightly 22-year-old ‘was one for the future’ and was to bide his time in the reserves before getting a shot with the first team.
It took Steve Bruce’s dismissal for McClean to start getting noticed. It was new boss Martin O’Neill, a man renowned for his man management skills who unlocked his potential. Speaking to Yahoo Sport Martin O’Neill described how he first became aware of the youngster:
“I didn’t know him at all, I met him during my first week. He had been substitute for a number of games without ever getting on the field of play, but I did see him play for our reserves against Manchester United during my first week at the club. The conditions were terribly windy and the pitch was not great but after a slow start in the game I thought he made a very decent contribution.”
I put him on against Blackburn in effectively my first game in charge of the team in the 75th minute when it looked like we had run out of ideas to break Blackburn down. He came on and gave us a boost, reignited us again, went past the full back put in a cross and suddenly we got another lift. Since making his full debut he has never looked back. “
That’s exactly right. James McClean seems to be getting better on a game by game basis. He scored his first senior goal against Wigan on the 3rd of January and grabbed a second against Peterborough in the FA Cup third round five days later. He grabbed an assist in Sunderland’s clash with Swansea City on the 21st of January and was also a major part in victories over Norwich and Stoke City.
Then there’s his magnificently well taken goal against Arsenal, as he skipped onto a through-ball after Per Mertesacker went down with an injury and smashed it past Wojciech Szczesny. I think it’s fair to say that he has been a vital part of Sunderland’s revival.
This, of course, has led to an increasing number of calls for Giovanni Trappatoni to select him for the Republic of Ireland for the Euros. Martin O’Neill has had this to say: “I think he’s more than capable of going… Hopefully he’s making such an impact he’ll be watched by someone in the Ireland camp, even if it’s not Trapattoni. They couldn’t fail to be impressed.
Whilst he made his International debut as a 78th minute substitute in a recent friendly against the Czech Republic, it’s still unclear if he’ll earn a place in the final squad for Euro 2012. As Sunderland’s leading light and one of the most impressive young players in the Premier League, you’d think he was worth a shot.
For more insight from Martin O’Neill and other leading managers plus exclusive Barclays Premier League highlights go to www.yahoo.co.uk/sport
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