McClean questions Derry City future as club rejects broken-promises claim

James McClean has cast doubt on his future at Derry City in a new interview with the Guardian, saying he believes his time at the club may be finished. The former Republic of Ireland international has not played for Derry since July, while the club has rejected his suggestion that it failed to honour promises made to him.

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McClean, 37, returned to Derry in January after a career that included 14 years in English football. He told the Guardian that coming home had not produced the ending he had hoped for and described the disagreement as a dispute between player and owner. His comments expressed his view of the relationship; they did not announce a completed departure or a decision to retire.

Asked by the newspaper to respond, a Derry City spokesman declined to comment on McClean's feelings and denied that the club had failed to fulfil promises. The club's response directly contested a central part of the player's account, leaving the two sides publicly at odds over the circumstances surrounding his absence from the team.

The interview followed comments from McClean earlier this month that he could not understand or accept his treatment. He said he was fit to play despite being omitted from interim manager Mark Connolly's squad. Derry subsequently said it had tried to deal with the matter privately, explaining that the disagreement involved confidential medical information about McClean's hip. The player's assertion that he can play therefore remains distinct from the club's explanation for keeping details private.

McClean also told the Guardian that he believes he could continue playing football elsewhere. He won 103 caps for the Republic of Ireland and spent time at Sunderland, Wigan, West Brom, Stoke and Wrexham during his years in England. His latest comments leave open the possibility of continuing his playing career away from Derry rather than confirming its conclusion.

He also discussed an interest in boxing after his Derry contract expires, saying he had been in contact with Misfits Boxing. That remains an account of discussions and personal plans, not an announced bout. McClean said he was not intending to build a conventional professional boxing career, but described training in the sport as a source of motivation while his football future remains uncertain.