James McClean, (born 22 April 1989) is an Irish professional footballer currently playing as a winger for Premier League club Sunderland and the Republic of Ireland national football team. McClean played with Trojans, Institute and his hometown club, Derry City, before moving across the sea to North East England in August 2011.
McClean was born in Derry, Northern Ireland and played for the Northern Ireland national under-21 football team. However, McClean declined a call-up to the top level 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. In May 2012, he was called into Giovanni Trapattoni's squad for UEFA Euro 2012, going on to appear as a substitute against Spain.
