Former Premier League winger James McClean has revealed he has held discussions with Misfits Boxing as his prolonged omission from the Derry City squad continues. The 37-year-old returned to his hometown side in January following a stint with Wrexham, but he has not featured on the pitch since July after being frozen out of first-team action for three months.
The dispute centers around Derry's efforts to cancel the player's contract, with the club arguing that McClean lacks the required physical capacity. McClean has firmly contested that evaluation, backed by an official statement issued on his behalf by the Professional Footballers' Association of Ireland clarifying that his absence was due to injury. Discussing the ongoing standoff, the former Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion player admitted: "This has been one of the most difficult periods of my life."
With his footballing future in question, McClean told The Guardian that he has looked into an alternative athletic path. Having boxed recreationally for ten years and committed heavily to training over the last 18 months, he confirmed that Misfits have reached out to sign him. While ruling out a standard professional career as unfeasible at his age, McClean stated: "I'm a pressure fighter. I like to be constantly in someone's face because I've got the fitness to maintain that. I'm not saying I’m by any stretch of the imagination a (Gennady) Golovkin or a Canelo (Alvarez), but I love watching them. I'm not looking to have a career in boxing but three or four fights a year is perfect. The dream was always to be a footballer but this is a new excitement, a new challenge."
Should McClean enter the ring, he would not be the first Premier League footballer to step under the promotion's banner. Misfits, which was established in 2022 by YouTube personality KSI alongside the Sauerland brothers, previously featured former Leicester City title-winner Danny Simpson in a draw against streamer Danny Aarons, while former Aston Villa and West Ham defender James Collins was floored on his way to a points loss against internet creator 'Big Stacks'. The celebrity-led organization has also involved fighters such as Tommy Fury and ex-UFC competitor Darren Till, and is linked with a potential $20million clash between Eddie Hearn and Dana White ahead of the December 11 bout between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.