Chris Dunlavy

Chris Dunlavy: James McClean’s time at Wrexham shows the value of a veteran

James McClean’s success at Wrexham shows that there is value in the older generation.

by
Chris Dunlavy
25 January 2026

Recruiters in football are obsessed with youth and value, to the extent that many clubs will shun any player over the age of 23.

Yet James McClean's success at Wrexham is an example of how self-defeating that strategy can be.
McClean completed a £250,000 move from Wigan in 2023 at the age of 34. According to reports, he was pocketing ‘Championship level’ wages.
Very few clubs at any level would have contemplated that sort of outlay on a player approaching retirement age, let alone one in League Two.

UP FOR IT: James McClean, right, used all his experience at Wrexham
PICTURE: Alamy
Determ...

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