Patrick McClean describes 'fairytale' chance to share pitch with his brother James at Derry City

​The 29 year-old has followed James' career since boyhood and watched on with pride as he secured a move to the English Premiership with Sunderland in 2011, made over 750 senior appearances; went on to become an Ireland legend and captained his country.

Patrick recalls watching James, who is seven years his senior, score his first ever goal for Derry City in the League Cup against Bohemians at Brandywell in 2008 from a tree in 'Skint Hill' - the City Cemetery vantage point in Creggan - because he couldn't get a ticket to the game.

Of course he's since had the privilege of watching him from executive boxes at the Aviva Stadium and the grounds of the various clubs he's represented in England but playing on the same pitch was something he never thought would materialise.

As fate would have it, Patrick has resurrected his promising career and found his way home to Derry for a third spell as a more rounded, mature player and person.

No one was as excited as him to see James' unveiled as a Derry player once again at Saturday's press conference after completing his sensational signing from Wrexham and suddenly something that belonged to the realms of fantasy has now become a reality as the Creggan Heights natives enjoy their homecoming.

"James is obviously a massive Derry fan, you've seen that over the years," began Patrick. "You can see the hunger he still has and I have that as well. To be on the pitch with him is a dream come true. I've grown up watching him.

"I've watched his first goal for Derry against Bohs in the cup. I watched it from 'Skint Hill' because I couldn't even get a ticket," he laughed. "I was up in a wee tree watching the game.

"Going to the Brandywell every week then watching him and then travelling to England and down to the Aviva has been fairytale stuff and now to be on the same pitch as him is a dream come true for me." James' arrival at Derry City isn't a sentimental signing by Tiernan Lynch, far from it as he brings a wealth of experience, worth ethic, passion and talent which the City boss hopes will take the club to new levels.

A dramatic rise in shirt sales with McClean on the back will no doubt be a by-product of one of the most high profile transfers in League of Ireland history but will Patrick be taking some of the credit from the club's delighted merchandise committee?

"I don't know if I can take any credit for that because the numbers will be all his," he laughed. "But a McClean is a McClean!"

While James ties up some loose ends in Wrexham and at his home in England over the next few days to prepare for the final chapter of an illustrious career, Patrick will jet off to Spain with the Derry team for their pre-season camp.

He's excited about the prospect of representing his hometown club once again and having watched from afar over the past couple of years, the centre half believes Lynch's current squad - with the addition of some outstanding talent - can go on to achieve significant success.

"I think if you looked last year again they got close but it just wasn't enough. So there's a good core group of players and it's just about adding wee bits. I don't think much has to change.

"Obviously James coming in and myself. I know what I can bring and what he will bring. Hopefully there will be a few more signings and as long as everyone is pulling in the one direction then I don't think there should be any issue.

"You look at the last couple of years and how close they've come and the talent they've had in the last couple of years. If we can create that thing between the fans and the players that even on the bad days the fans can play their part to drive us on and bring success to the Brandywell. That's huge.

"From an outside looking in for so many years, I was looking and going 'just get behind them'. The boys are working hard and it's an exciting year. You can see that buzz.

“I think Mickey Duffy said it in an interview recently that something just clicked after one of the cup finals and you could see the adults and kids running around with all the Derry gear and it's that magical feeling of the Brandywell that I remember going to games. It seems to be getting that buzz again and it's exciting to be a part of that."

For a while his proposed switch from Sligo Rovers appeared to be in doubt as the clubs wrestled over a transfer fee understood to have been settled in the region of £25,000.

So it was understandably a stressful few weeks for the defender who had nailed his colours to the mast and sat out Sligo's pre-season trip to Westport having told Bit O'Red boss John Russell of his desire to move home.

"I've known for ages it was happening," he revealed. "James said in his interview that he had four sleepless nights waiting on the move, well I've had that for the last four weeks just running through everything in my head. I just can't wait to get in amongst it and just give everything.

"It was very stressful. I had my ma and da asking what was happening and I'm being told one thing and trying to keep things under wraps. You see it all over social media and obviously being from Derry you're walking around the town and getting stopped in the street and you don't know what to say to people.

"Sligo have been very good to me and I'm really thankful to John [Russell] and the staff and all the fans and players as they gave me the chance to come back to the League of Ireland and show what I can do. Ultimately I had a good six months and I worked really hard to get here so I think I definitely deserve a chance to come back and show what I can do."

After successful spells in the Irish League with Glentoran and League of Ireland experience with Waterford and Sligo Rovers, Patrick believes he returns for his third spell with Derry as a much better player and he's not prepared to throw away the opportunity.

"I've improved in all areas, on and off the field. I spoke in an interview in the summer about how I found that love for football again after taking a break.

"It's definitely helped me grow up a lot. I went away. I've played a lot of football. I've grown up a lot. I have a young son now and a partner. I have my nieces and nephews who go to the Brandywell so they're looking up to you.

"So it would be disrespectful to the people who backed me and who have shown support for me to throw that all away. My only aim now is to work everyday to give everything I can to this club.

"With James coming in now as well, it gives you a bit more hunger to do well with him and share the pitch with him and the standards he set over the years for himself and to be in there now with him to help drive this club on and win trophies."