Ruaidhrí Higgins quashes McClean reunion links with huge pay cut comments

DERRY CITY boss Ruaidhrí Higgins has admitted that James McClean will have to take a huge pay cut if he wants to return to the Brandywell.

McClean (34) has been linked with a move back to the club where he made his League of Ireland debut.

The Derry native made 79 appearances between 2008 and 2011 and soon after moved to Sunderland.

The Ireland winger went on to play for the likes of West Brom, Wigan, and Stoke City during his career, but speculation has grown over the last few weeks that McClean could return to Derry.

After Derry's 1-0 win away to Bohemians on Friday, Higgins was asked about a potential return for McClean and said, "Of course, there’s room for him."

"It might be more difficult to do than some may think. I haven’t spoken to James. I’ve known him for a long time.

"I took him under my wing when he was here as a player, but if James wants to take an 80% wage cut or a 90% wage cut, then we might think about it!"

'Amazing ambassador' James McClean would have to take massive paycut for a return to Derry City to become a realistic prospect says Ruaidhri Higgins https://t.co/vWOZSl66LT

— Neil O'Riordan (@noriordan) May 15, 2023

McClean will be aiming to make Stephen Kenny's next Ireland squad when the Euro 2024 qualifiers resume in June. Ireland will play Greece and Gibraltar in June. The Wigan player is two caps away from becoming Ireland's latest centurion.

Higgins, who was part of Kenny’s Ireland setup until April 2021, believes that winning 100 caps for his country would be an 'unbelievable achievement'.

"When he gets to 100 caps, amazing, nobody deserves it more than him," said Higgins. "It would be an unbelievable achievement," added the Derry boss.

"James was a really shy lad when he was younger. To have that drive and that personality, and to take the knocks he took over a long period of time and to come back fighting, sums up the character he is. If

"James gets to 100 caps, then nobody deserves it more than him as I know the work he puts in.

"He’s an amazing professional and a brilliant person, contrary to what a lot of people would think.

"He does a lot of charity work behind the scenes. Some of it has been made public but I know he does a lot of stuff that nobody hears about. He’s an amazing ambassador for our city."

Derry play Dundalk tonight at 19:45