My Derry City fall-out could be a blessing say James McClean

The 37-year-old winger is embroiled in a contract battle with his hometown club after they reportedly attempted to terminate his three-year deal on medical grounds.

Signed by Tiernan Lynch in January this year, McClean said he was 'meant to be coming home for the fairytale ending' but claims he quickly realised some of the promises made by the manager and powers-that-be at the club were 'just bullsh*t'.

The Creggan man claims he was promised a role as the Sporting Director at the club once he officially hung up his boots and regards his treatment by Derry City as 'a betrayal'.

Commenting in an interview with The Guardian to publicise his new book 'The Walls'- which is officially released on Thursday when McClean will attend a book signing at Waterstones in Foyleside - the former Ireland international said:

“It’s not good," he began. "I was meant to be coming home for the fairytale ending. But you quickly realise the promises are just bullsh*t. It’s a player against owner and there’s only one winner. I think that’s it in terms of Derry City. You never think you’ll be betrayed by your own so it’s painful.

"It could be a blessing," McClean added. "It could end up a blessing in disguise."

McClean, who has called out the club publicly including during his punditry role on RTE during the summer World Cup Finals, has been exiled from the team during matchday.

He received a formal warning for boxing and doing extra training outside of football, which he claims former manager Lynch initially encouraged.

Now he's preparing to step into a boxing career once his contract dispute with Derry City has been resolved and says he's already been approached to fight on a Misfits boxing card.

"I wanted to stay in the game, but in a sporting director type of role that was promised to me at Derry and taken away. I’m not going to start a pro boxing career because it’s just not feasible at my age. But I’ve been in contact with Misfits and they want me to fight.

"Boxing is giving me that purpose to wake up and train hard," he said. "I'm not looking to have a career in boxing but three or four fights a year is perfect," McClean said. "The dream was always to be a footballer but this is a new excitement, a new challenge.

"There’s that avenue there now [Misfits Boxing] where you don’t have to start from scratch and fight professional boxers. You’re fighting these social media influencers and making more than a journeyman boxer might make in his whole career.

"So if I can get three fights a year …

Commenting on his regrets at leaving Wrexham to come home, he added that both he and his wife Erin have been 'hurt' by how events have transpired over the past few months.

"I think we’ve both been hurt by what’s happened behind the scenes at Derry [City] and she sees how much I enjoy it [boxing]. I’ve more passion for boxing now than I have for football, and I need a purpose in the morning."

Derry City Football Club states that the club has "'sought to resolve this internal matter privately. Out of respect for confidentiality and the fact that this dispute involves sensitive medical details regarding James’ hip condition, the club have previously refrained from making any public statement on the matter.”