Emotional scenes as James McClean bids farewell to Ireland fans
Irish Mirror 21/11/2023 21:33
James McClean waved goodbye to the Aviva Stadium as he was substituted in the 66th minute on his final Ireland appearance.
The Derry man was embraced by his teammates as they paid tribute to a stellar international career.
The 34-year-old exited at 1-1 during his side’s match against New Zealand in Dublin after Matthew Garbett cancelled out Adam Idah’s first-half strike.
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McClean was replaced by Ryan Manning with just over twenty minutes to play.
Fans and former players also paid tribute on social media as Kevin Kilbane posted: ‘Great reception for James McClean while leaving the pitch tonight. Fully deserved for a great servant of Ireland.’
Another fan commented: ‘103 caps, some innings from James McClean, just our 7th centurion in mens football, and we'll be waiting a good while for the next! brilliant servant and a wonderful character!’
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