McClean arrived at 9.58am; he was the last player to come for the session and did not take any questions from a large media presence. Asked by reporters whether he was still a player with the club, McClean simply replied: 'Clearly.'
James McClean's homecoming story looks to have taken a sour turn after his club informed the 37-year-old that they intended to rip up his contract due to a perceived lack of 'physical capacity' required to fulfil its terms. But, according to the Irish Independent, the club have told McClean they are ending his contract despite it still having two years left to run, claiming he is unable to fulfil its terms because he is not fit enough to play or train. However the star - who has regularly made headlines for his refusal to take part in Remembrance Day commemorations - is expected to insist that a contract cannot be cancelled unilaterally and that an independent physician must determine his fitness.
McClean has been left out of Derry's last two league matchday squads since starting in their FAI Cup second round win over Tolka Rovers on July 19. Derry sit sixth out of 10 teams in the League of Ireland Premier Division, a disappointing campaign after finishing runners-up in 2023 and 2025.
In June, the 37-year-old hinted at his unhappiness following his return home after a 15-year spell in English football. 'Family (are) enjoying being home – probably not so much myself, if I’m being honest,' McClean said during a punditry appearance on RTE. '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.'