International friendly: Republic of Ireland v New Zealand (Tuesday, Aviva Stadium, 7.45pm)
THERE was a slightly melancholy feel to yesterday’s pre-match press conference at the FAI headquarters in Abbotstown ahead of the friendly game with New Zealand when Stephen Kenny and James McClean emerged together from a side door.
Having clocked up 102 international caps, McClean will play his final match for Ireland against the Kiwis in Dublin tonight, while it feels beyond dispute now the game will also mark the end of Kenny’s managerial reign.
If you asked both men, though, they still feel they’re the best men for their respective roles.
The difference is McClean is going out on his own terms; Kenny is expected to leave at the behest of his employers after three years in the job.
Explaining his decision to retire from international football, McClean said: “I will be honest with you. It's not because of my body, or I feel my ability has diminished. I still feel as fit as ever.
“I still believe I am the best person for the role. I have never doubted myself. I played 46 games out of 46 in the Championship last season, 45 of them I started. Ability-wise, I was second for full-backs in goals and assists, and for most successful tackles in the whole league.
“There are other factors. I have personal reasons and my own reasons for stepping away, I feel now is the right time to step aside. Let others come through, I've had my time, I have no regrets. For me now is the perfect time to step away.”
For a few moments McClean and Kenny seemed to forget the presence of the media as the pair reminisced about their time together at Derry City between 2008 and 2011.
Kenny was the man who gave the youngster from Creggan Heights his chance to shine at his local club before Premier League club Sunderland swooped to sign him in August 2011.
Plucked from Institute where McClean made only a few fleeting appearances, Kenny didn’t waste any time by throwing the left winger into the first team and was immediately rewarded with a debut goal against Bohemians.
“Most players don't go out on their own terms,” Kenny said. “[Turning to James] And he is doing that now.
“I remember seeing you in the Showgrounds, in the U18 team, you came into that team at Derry, very excited, you came into the team where we had a rule when we went to the First Division that time that everyone had to be from within six miles of the city, pretty strong, that team, wasn't it?
Smiling, McClean replied: “It was one of the most special times in my career as we were all young, it was basically playing football with your mates. We would go out on the Friday, put teams away for fun and then go out that night.”
After he left Sunderland, McClean was always in demand in England and enjoyed successful periods with Wigan Athletic (twice), West Brom and Stoke City before dropping down to League Two club Wrexham where he continues to play regularly.
The 34-year-old has been lauded for his work-rate and never-say-die approach throughout his career, but he admitted to being a bit peeved at some of the well-intentioned praise.
“My self-belief is probably my biggest attribute, my mindset but it actually insults me in a way because I see some of the comments, ‘He was never the most gifted…’
“You have to have ability. You just don't go on to play 12 years in England - I've got 150 Premier League games and 103 international caps after tomorrow night.
“You have to have ability. I see this, ‘Yeah, he’s a great work ethic’ and ‘he’s a good runner'. Well, go grab Mo Farah off the street and stick him in!
“Maybe when I retire, I will probably get more recognition for my football ability than I do now.”
Seizing on the theme, Kenny argued there was much more to McClean than an insatiable work ethic.
“James has had an amazing journey. The things he’s had to contend with on and off the pitch, he’s shown incredible fortitude.
“He’s right about his talent. It wasn’t his ability to run or cover ground when I played him. It was his ability to dribble, turn defenders inside and out.
“That’s the thing that caught me. We had a history of wingers doing well at the club at time, we’d a number who went away to England and Scotland.
“James had incredible ability to dribble inside or outside, that was the stand-out thing for me.
“When he played for me as a young player, he was a really exciting dribbler, ability to take people on… His number of assists were off the charts. That’s what I’d seen.”
Asked what’s next in his life, McClean says he’s no intention of hanging up his boots just yet.
“I don't think too much of what's next, I feel grand. I have no plans to hang up the boots any time soon. I will savour Tuesday. We never had a summer off in a long time so I promised my wife and kids that we will book Florida, go away for a month and enjoy Disneyland.”
For a moment, he muses over what his greatest achievement has been either on or off the field.
“That I made a successful career in a very, very hard industry, and the longevity in doing that. So, yeah, look, that's my proudest achievement. I've been able to give my children and my family a good future off the back of that. Yeah, I'm absolutely very, very proud of that.”
