Wrexham will be back in League One next season and James McClean may feel that his decision to join the club has been justified.
Last weekend’s 6-0 thrashing of Forest Green Rovers booked Wrexham’s place in League One after nearly 20 years away.
Stockport County were made champions in the week but Wrexham have still had business to take care of ahead of the summer.
Phil Parkinson’s side showed a ruthless streak on Saturday afternoon, beating Crewe Alexandra 3-0 on the road.
Ollie Palmer, Paul Mullin and Andy Cannon were all on the scoresheet as Wrexham added another three points to the tally.
Wrexham now have just one game left to play this season and Parkinson will be looking to finish the season on a high before heading into the transfer window.
James McClean on Wrexham move
The promotion sees James McClean return to League One having been let go Wigan Athletic last summer.
McClean and the Latics had just suffered relegation from the Championship but the Irishman was allowed to leave for Wrexham.
Whilst his 35th birthday arrives in just a couple of days, McClean has proven that he is far from past it, racking up 13 assists in all competitions this season.
McClean’s contract expires this summer but Wrexham do have an option to keep him for another year – and you have to imagine that the option will be taken up.
McClean will certainly feel that the move to Wrexham was a great idea, especially having won promotion, but not everybody shared that sentiment.
The Wrexham ace has told the Irish Examiner that he spoke to Ireland boss Stephen Kenny about the move last summer.
However, the feeling McClean received was that Kenny couldn’t wait get off the phone and didn’t approve of the move to Wrexham.
McClean added that Kenny’s reaction contributed to him stepping away from international football and he turned down Championship offers to joining an exciting Wrexham project.
“He couldn’t get off the phone quick enough,” said McClean. “That spoke of what he thought about the move. I don’t think he was on board. Ultimately, I would say that was a major factor in my decision to step away from Ireland. Sometimes when you make a decision, you are made to walk the plank.”
“I felt that if I don’t walk away now, I may never get the opportunity to say goodbye on my terms. I thought it was very disrespectful. I had offers to stay in the Championship but at my age I wanted to do something that would excite and be a challenge. Wrexham had a project and it’s a successful one. Nobody forced me to make the move but I’m glad I did and there’s a sense of justification,” he added.
McClean can still play important role next season
Some may think that McClean is coming to the end of his career but we think that he can still make an impact for Wrexham – if he stays.
McClean has proven himself to be a superb performer either at left wing back or even in midfield this season.
The quality McClean provides is vital for Wrexham going forward and those 13 assists aren’t an accident; they are an example of his ability in the final third.
Add in McClean’s experience and his influence on this Wrexham team has been so important in League Two and can certainly remain that way in League One.
The former Ireland boss may not have loved McClean’s move to Wrexham, but the STōK Cae Ras crowd certainly loved it.