“Dropping down a level was a tough decision; I took my time over it,” he says of his summer move to Wigan Athletic. “But I needed to get out of Sunderland when things went sour up there…”
Asked whether Paolo Di Canio is really the manager from hell he’s been made out to be, McClean replies: “Er, let’s just say that after the call came from Eoin Coyle at Wigan, it took me five minutes to pack my bag! On and off the pitch, I needed a fresh start. It’s all about rebuilding and sorting out my image, which I know isn’t the best.”
Addressing those past Twitter controversies, he reflects that, “Basically, I got into trouble for being honest. Yes, you have a responsibility to your club and country, but we’re not robots.”
Also up for discussion are his baby daughter Allie-Mae (Proudest day of my life was when she came into the world. We’re both from Derry and wanted her to be born there, so my missus, Erin, moved back for the last two months of the pregnancy”); Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane (“Roy’s the one with the tough guy reputation, but if you step over the line with the manager he’s definitely got a temper”); diving footballers (“Rolling around on the ground like that when you've barely been touched makes you look stupid and less of a man”); Seamus Coleman (“He's the nicest guy, but he'd have no problem kicking you”); The Coronas (“They played at my birthday. They’re great lads and we exchanged numbers”) and Ireland’s upcoming Euro qualifying campaign (“Second place is absolutely achievable. That’s got to be the aim; claim some big scalps and get to another tournament").
Read the full interview with James McClean in the new issue of Hot Press, out now with The Riptide Movement on the cover.