Derry City
Which team did the player James McClean belong to from 2008 to 2009?
James McClean James Joseph McClean ( ; born 22 April 1989 ) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as a winger for English EFL Championship club Stoke City and the Republic of Ireland national team . He played with Trojans , Institute , his hometown club Derry City , and Sunderland before moving to Wigan Athletic in August 2013 . He spent two seasons at Wigan , claiming their player of the year award in the latter , and then returned to the Premier League by joining West Bromwich Albion in June 2015 . McClean spent three season with the Baggies before joining Stoke City in July 2018 . McClean was born and brought up in Derry and played for the Northern Ireland national under-21 football team , but declined a call-up to the senior squad because he wanted to play for the Republic of Ireland . In February 2012 , McClean received international clearance from FIFA which made him eligible to play for the Republic of Ireland , making his debut against the Czech Republic in the same month . He has since represented the nation at UEFA Euro 2012 and UEFA Euro 2016 . Early life . McClean grew up in the Creggan area of Derry and attended Holy Family Primary School and St . Peters High School . He played Gaelic football with Seán Dolans GAC before concentrating on association football . Club career . Institute . McClean began his career at Institute , making one first team appearance as a substitute against Glentoran in the 2007–08 Irish Premier League season . Institute decided not to renew his contract in the summer of 2008 . Derry City . McClean made his Derry City first team debut on the 1st July 2008 in a League Cup tie at home to Bohemians , opening the scoring in a 4–1 win . He made his League of Ireland debut for Derry City as a substitute for Kevin McHugh playing against Cork City at Turners Cross on 8 September 2008 . In his first full season with Derry in the 2009 season the club suffered serious financial problems and the players went weeks without payment . During this period in November 2009 McClean held talks with English League Two side Lincoln City , but this did not result in a contract , after McClean felt homesick . Derry finished the season in 4th place but were expelled by the FAI due to breaking regulations by holding secondary , unofficial contracts with players . They were invited to join the League of Ireland First Division . In December 2009 McClean was one of the first four players to sign for the new Derry City , along with David McDaid , and the McEleney brothers — Shane and Patrick . McClean scored eight goals in 33 appearances in the 2010 season helping Derry return to the top-flight . McClean began to attract more interest from English clubs in the 2011 season with Peterborough United making some unsuccessful bids . He also attracted interest from Everton . In August 2011 Derry accepted an offer from Sunderland for McClean . Sunderland . McClean joined Sunderland on 9 August 2011 for a fee of £350,000 , signing a three-year contract . Upon signing McClean , manager Steve Bruce indicated that he was one for the future , and also hinted that he would be in the reserve team until Christmas . His form in the development squad was capped by a reserve-debut goal in a 4–3 win over Tyne–Wear derby rivals Newcastle United , earning him a place on the Sunderland bench . Despite never making an appearance under Bruce , he made his debut for the first team in Martin ONeills first game in charge on 11 December , a 2–1 win over Blackburn Rovers and was credited for the comeback which saw his side overturn a 1–0 deficit , after coming on as a substitute for Jack Colback in the second half . McClean made his first start for Sunderland in their 1–0 victory over Manchester City on 1 January 2012 , and scored his first senior goal for the Black Cats in a 4–1 win against Wigan Athletic two days later ; on 8 January , he scored and assisted Sebastian Larsson in a 2–0 win at Peterborough United in the third round of the FA Cup . McClean provided the assist for Stéphane Sessègnons opening goal in Sunderlands 2–0 victory over Swansea City on 21 January , and got another assist in the equalising goal for Fraizer Campbell in the next round of the cup against Middlesbrough on 29 January . Ahead of the replay for that fixture , Middlesbrough manager Tony Mowbray used McClean as an example for young players to follow . McClean turned provider again in Sunderlands 3–0 victory over Norwich City , assisting Sessègnons goal , then scored the only goal in a win over Stoke City on 4 February in snowy conditions at the Britannia Stadium . A week later , he opened the scoring in Sunderlands 2–1 home loss to Arsenal after Per Mertesacker injured himself . On 23 March , Sunderland announced that McClean had signed a new contract intended to force him to stay at the club until the summer of 2015 . A day later , he helped them to a 3–1 victory over relegation-threatened Queens Park Rangers by assisting the opening goal for Nicklas Bendtner and later scoring by himself . McClean won Sunderlands Young Player of the Year Award , at the end of the 2011–12 season . In August 2012 , McClean scored his first two goals of the 2012–13 in the second round of the League Cup against Morecambe . He also scored in the third round as well , scoring in the 82nd minute away at Milton Keynes Dons . He scored his first Premier League goal of the season in a 3–0 home defeat of Reading on 11 December , exactly twelve months to the day that he made his Sunderland debut . McClean fell out of favour with the Sunderland supporters after he refused to wear a poppy which led to his departure in August 2013 . Speaking in 2015 McClean says he was hung out to dry by Sunderland . Wigan Athletic . McClean signed for Championship club Wigan Athletic on a three-year contract on 8 August 2013 . Three days later he made his debut in the 2013 FA Community Shield at Wembley Stadium , starting in a 2–0 loss to Manchester United . He scored his first goal for Wigan on 26 January 2014 in the FA Cup fourth round , a winner in a 2–1 victory against Crystal Palace . He had scored on 18 December against Sheffield Wednesday , but that match was abandoned in heavy rain and his goal was struck from the records ; it was the only goal of the game by the 59th minute in which it was called off . McClean played in 49 matches in 2013–14 , scoring four goals as Wigan reached the Championship play-offs where they lost 2–1 to Queens Park Rangers . The 2014–15 was a poor one for the Latics as they finished in 23rd place were relegated to League One . West Bromwich Albion . Turning down a move to New York Red Bulls , on 22 June 2015 McClean signed for West Bromwich Albion on a three-year deal for a fee believed to be around £1.5 million . In July , on the teams tour of the United States , he turned his back on the Flag of England while the British national anthem God Save the Queen was played before a match against the Charleston Battery , which resulted in a verbal warning from manager Tony Pulis . He made his competitive debut on 10 August as West Brom began the season against Manchester City at The Hawthorns . Booed by his teams own fans whenever he touched the ball , he was replaced by Claudio Yacob at half-time , as his team lost 3–0 . On 17 October , after a 1–0 home win over his former team Sunderland , he taunted the visiting fans , leading to confrontations between both sets of players ; he was given a warning by the FA over his conduct . He scored his first goal for the Baggies on 5 December , a 39th-minute headed equaliser in a 1–1 home draw against Tottenham Hotspur . Two weeks later , he was sent off in the first half of a 2–1 home loss to Bournemouth for a challenge on Adam Smith ; teammate Salomón Rondón was also dismissed in added time . He played in 42 matches in 2015–16 as West Brom finished in 14th position . He scored his first goal of the 2016–17 season in the EFL Cup against Northampton Town . His first league goal of the season came in a 4–2 win over West Ham United on 17 September 2016 . He was given an improved contract extension until 2019 , with the option of a further year . Tony Pulis said : James thoroughly deserves this and has worked hard to achieve it . He angered Watford captain Troy Deeney with his tackling in a 3–1 win on 3 December 2016 . He played 42 times as the Baggies finished in 10th . The 2017–18 season was an unsettled one for West Brom as they went through four managers Tony Pulis , Gary Megson , Alan Pardew and Darren Moore . Albion were rock bottom of the Premier League nearly all season and despite a late resurgence they were relegated to the Championship . Stoke City . McClean joined Stoke City in July 2018 on a four-year contract for a fee of £5 million . McClean made his Stoke debut on 5 August 2018 against Leeds United . He scored his first goal for Stoke on 25 August 2018 in a 2–0 win against Hull City . In September 2018 McClean suffered a broken arm whilst on international duty with Ireland . McClean played 45 times in 2018–19 , scoring three goals as Stoke finished in 16th place . McClean began the 2019–20 season playing as a makeshift left-back as Nathan Jones attempted to implement his preferred diamond formation . It did not work as Stoke had a poor start to the season , failing to win any of their first ten matches and Jones was replaced by Michael ONeill in November who played McClean in his natural left-wing position . McClean became a key player under ONeill and his form helped the team pick up results to move out of the relegation zone . He ended the campaign with seven goals from 37 appearances as Stoke avoided relegation and finished in 15th position . Following the end of the season he was voted Player of the Year by supporters . In the 2020–21 season , McClean made 29 appearances , scoring two goals as Stoke finished in 14th position . During the season McClean had disciplinary problems as he breached Covid-19 protocols by going to a gym during lockdown . He also angered ONeill in March 2021 after he played for Ireland despite recovering from a foot injury . International career . McClean had represented Northern Ireland at a number of junior levels , but ultimately opted to represent the Republic of Ireland at senior level . Northern Ireland . McClean was part of the Northern Ireland team that won the 2008 Milk Cup and scored in the opening game in a 3–1 win against the US . He has also represented Northern Ireland seven times at Under 21 level . On 26 July 2011 he was called up to the Northern Ireland senior squad for the match against the Faroe Islands on 10 August 2011 . McClean decided to wait for selection by the Republic of Ireland and therefore pulled out of the Northern Ireland squad . In January 2012 he again confirmed he would not be reconsidering his decision although Northern Ireland manager Michael ONeill had been in contact with him . Republic of Ireland . McCleans success in the Premier League saw increasing calls for Giovanni Trapattoni to select him for the Republic of Ireland , with Sunderland manager Martin ONeill saying after McCleans winning goal at Stoke : I think hes more than capable of going to Euro 2012 .. . Hopefully hes making such an impact hell be watched by someone in the Ireland camp , even if its not Trapattoni . They couldnt fail to be impressed . McClean received international clearance to play for the Republic of Ireland on 9 February . However , he was not included in the squad for the match against the Czech Republic which was announced the next day , though he was added to the squad on 20 February after success against Arsenal in the FA Cup Fifth Round Proper . McClean made his international debut on 29 February 2012 , coming on in the 78th minute for Aiden McGeady in a friendly against the Czech Republic at the Aviva Stadium . On 7 May 2012 , manager Giovanni Trapattoni confirmed that McClean was part of the Irish UEFA Euro 2012 squad . He then received sectarian abuse and death threats via Twitter . McClean was quoted saying , You are looking around as a Catholic and seeing all the Union Jacks and listening to the fans songs and I just didnt feel at home at all . On 26 May 2012 , McClean made his first senior international start against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the final home friendly ahead of UEFA Euro 2012 , playing on the left flank . On 10 June 2012 , the date of Irelands first UEFA Euro 2012 match in Poland , McClean was left on the bench ; the game ended in a 3–1 defeat to Croatia . Two days before Irelands next match on 14 June 2012 , Ireland manager Trapattoni hinted that McClean would not feature in that game against world champions Spain . After much public urging for Trapattoni to make use of McCleans talents to recover Irelands progress in the European Championship , Trapattoni claimed that His time would come in the future . However , on 14 June 2012 , McClean appeared as a substitute against Spain , coming on in the 76th minute in Gdańsk , Poland . On 7 September 2012 , after being left on the bench during Irelands 2–1 victory over Kazakhstan in a World Cup 2014 qualifier , McClean used Twitter to criticise Trapattoni . The tweet , and McCleans account , were subsequently deleted and the winger was forced to apologise to teammates . On 11 June 2014 , McClean scored his first international goal in the 5–1 defeat by Portugal in the MetLife Stadium during Irelands US tour . On 11 October McClean made his first appearance of the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying campaign against Gibraltar , scoring a brace in a 7–0 win in the Aviva Stadium . On 29 March 2016 , he scored his first ever professional penalty , helping Ireland to a 2–2 draw in a friendly against Slovakia . On 9 October 2017 , he scored the only goal of a win away to Wales at the Cardiff City Stadium in 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification , putting the Irish into the playoffs . On 16 November 2020 , the Football Association of Ireland announced that McClean had tested positive for COVID-19 after playing a full game against Wales at the Cardiff City Stadium . The announcement also included Matt Dohertys positive result . Outside football . Remembrance poppy . Since his Premier League breakthrough in 2012 , McClean has been both condemned and supported for his ongoing refusal to wear football shirts bearing the symbol of the remembrance poppy when playing games on or around Remembrance Day ( 11 November ) or Remembrance Sunday ( the nearest Sunday ) , leading to his being named by the BBC in 2015 as the main example for one of the Five reasons people dont wear poppies . The special shirts , usually auctioned , are part of the annual Poppy Appeal organised by the Royal British Legion , with all Premier League club shirts displaying poppies in various forms since 2010 . McClean states his objection derives from his affinity with Derry and to the role of the British Army in The Troubles . He grew up on the Creggan estate , where six of the men shot dead on Bloody Sunday in 1972 came from . He stated he would wear the poppy if it were restricted to honouring only soldiers who died in the World Wars , many of whom , particularly during World War I , were Irish , and has insisted his position is one of peace , and not any kind of wider political , religious or anti-British point . The Legion opposes compelling people to wear the poppy , seeing such a stance as going against everything the poppy symbolises . For his stances , McClean has been booed by supporters of opposition clubs as well as some of his own clubs supporters . After the first refusal , McClean was subjected to sectarian abuse and loyalist threats , including death threats . Various players , such as David Meyler and Jamie Devitt ( both Irish citizens ) and managers ( including Trapattoni ) , have voiced support for his decision as a personal issue of conscience . The first instance occurred on 10 November 2012 , with McClean wearing a plain Sunderland shirt during their match against Everton . McClean donated his unadorned shirt , signed , to a charity auction in aid of a Dublin-based childrens charity . Driving violations . On 26 July 2012 , McClean was caught speeding in his Land Rover at 95 mph on the M2 motorway in County Antrim , which he was not permitted to drive on as he held a provisional learners driving licence rather than a full licence . He was further charged for being an unaccompanied learner driver and not displaying L plates on his car . He admitted all charges , and in April 2013 was tried in absentia at Antrim Magistrates Court and fined £700 . In November 2015 , McClean was found guilty of a traffic-related offence , and as he already had six points on his licence , was banned from driving for six months , in addition to a fine . Charitable donations . McClean has made a number of charitable donations . He made a significant donation to homeless people at the Wells and Foyle Valley House in Derry . He donated £1,500 for a custom hand cycle bike to help a child who was suffering from Spina Bifida . He made another significant donation to the Wells facility in the Bogside , for up to 24 men who have alcohol problems . He paid £1,750 for a new mobile home after hearing about a pregnant homeless womans struggles on social media . He donated £1000 to help pay for specialist proton therapy in Florida for a four-year-old child suffering from cancer . He donated €1,200 to help pay for the funeral of a two-year-old boy who was struck by a car . In December 2016 he set up a new clothing line with proceeds going to help homeless residents of his native Derry . He donated £500 to an online fund set up to support the family of a missing Derry man . Honours . Derry City - League of Ireland First Division : 2010 Northern Ireland - Milk Cup : 2008 Individual - PFAI First Division Team of the Year : 2010 - Sunderland Young Player of the Year : 2011–12 - Wigan Player of the Year : 2014–15 - RTÉ Sports Person of the Year : 2017 - Stoke City Player of the Year : 2020