Daniel McDonnell: James McClean finds a perfect place to shine

It was December 2011 when Martin O'Neill took a chance on Sunderland's summer acquisition, famously seeing enough from a sprightly performance in a reserve match with Manchester United to believe that the raw talent could make an impact.

Others had travelled from the League of Ireland with more hype surrounding them. That is perhaps a reflection of how Derry players struggle for profile in a league where most media coverage is generated from Dublin.

But opposing full-backs knew that McClean was a proper player, a real handful. His then manager Stephen Kenny still speaks fondly of a "special person who was one of the most popular members of the dressing room".

The football world was unprepared for what came next as McClean became an overnight sensation that initially thrived on the pitch before tripping himself up by failing to come to terms with his status off it.

His social media opinions, once only of interest to his friends, generated national news headlines.

2012 was a steep learning curve as the goodwill that carried him to the Euros was followed by a dressing down by senior players when he slaughtered Giovanni Trapattoni for leaving him out of a qualifying win in Kazakhstan.

Sunderland were exasperated by the misdemeanours too. "We used to be afraid of our lives every time he did an interview or what he was going to say next on Twitter," admitted Niall Quinn earlier this month.

Stardom

Quinn was chairman and the driving force in getting the deal for McClean across the line. He still speaks warmly about McClean, writing a piece recently about the early stages of the winger's stardom when he drove into the club one day in a massive car that suggested he might be getting a little carried away for a newcomer.

O'Neill had a word and the vehicle was dropped back to the showroom. But the reality was that the young man didn't always listen to advice and Sunderland's managerial instability, a loss of form and his refusal to wear a poppy left his career in a sticky place. It's probably the best thing that could have happened to him.

Put simply, McClean has been one of the Irish success stories of 2016. He didn't figure in the end-of-year awards discussions and, in truth, that was probably fair enough given that he was good at the Euros but outshone by Robbie Brady and Jeff Hendrick.

However, his excellent autumn in green and the stability that he has found in his club career - a stability that seemed unlikely when he initially chose to depart Sunderland for a Wigan dressing room that was rolling backwards down a hill with the handbrake off - is a personal triumph.

Irish players regularly lining out for a top-half side in the Premier League are an endangered species but that's where McClean finds himself this Christmas, even though an untimely suspension from a yellow card too many has left the 27-year-old as an impact sub over the last month with Matt Phillips taking the opportunity to nip in ahead of him.

The festive period should give him a chance to retain his starting place, much as Tony Pulis recognises the effectiveness of a fired-up McClean coming off the bench to lift the intensity, particularly in game's like today's trip to face Arsenal.

O'Neill had used him that way with Ireland until the case for a regular start became impossible to ignore and he couldn't have done without him for the wins in Moldova and Austria.

If he is irked about a stint as a sub, the frustration will be channelled internally.

The crucial thing for McClean at this stage of his career is that he's found the right club boss. When Wigan were sliding out of the Championship in 2015, the Irish international was their only shining light.

A move to America was on the cards until Pulis swooped.

Six months earlier, the West Brom boss had also shopped at Wigan to make Callum McManaman his first buy for £4.75m. McClean was over £3m cheaper, yet he has lasted the course and become an important member of the squad whereas McManaman is expected to be on his way out in January.

Crucially, Pulis wanted McClean because of what he can do, whereas other bosses made the mistake of focusing on the other side of the column; he doesn't conform easily on or off the park. West Brom's style suits his attributes

It helps that he has settled down somewhat; he's a married man with two kids and has eloquently articulated his stance on the sensitive issue of the poppy in such a way that it has placed the spotlight on the rationale of those that take issue with his approach.

But Pulis wants McClean to retain that physical approach that naturally raises the tempo of games. A West Brom source says that it extends to training too, where McClean is expected to get stuck in. And that work rate has endeared him to colleagues who appreciate the fiery streak and put up with the odd row given that it is borne from the same enthusiasm and energy levels that allow him to cover an average of over 11km per 90 minutes. That's helping out whoever is around him.

Pulis has assembled a good group, with ex-Manchester United pair Darren Fletcher and Jonny Evans a positive influence, and McClean has slotted into the dressing room dynamic.

In addition to Evans, he can also list Northern Ireland internationals Gareth McAuley and Chris Brunt as team-mates.

They all get on well, which might not have been the initial expectation given their respective backgrounds. The reputation is different from the reality.

Friends speak of a generous character that has stayed true to himself despite his dramatic change of circumstances. Kenny tells the story of how he bought cars for close friends and a house for his family when he began to earn the big bucks.

The list of his charity contributions is a long one and, while that can be said of many pros, it's required for balance when the caricature is rolled out on those occasions when the red mist descends.

He found himself in the centre of a minor rumpus earlier this month when he incensed Watford's Roberto Pereyra by taking him down with a robust challenge and then firing the ball in his direction with his opponent sent off for his reaction in the melee that followed.

McClean was the villain of the piece and can thrive in that role, although Pulis did admit that six bookings so far this term indicated that he occasionally needed to relax.

"I think James has got to control himself and he understands that," he said. "Sometimes he does live on the edge but that's the player he is and the person he is.

"He's a fantastic lad and he's competitive - and you want him to be - but he's got to realise there is a line that you draw and sometimes he goes very close to that line. Does it take stuff away from him?

"It might do, I'm not sure. But I've spoken to him quite a few times about getting too close to that line.

"As I keep saying, he's a fantastic lad and a good lad around the place. The perception of him outside the club is different to what people inside the club who know him well think."

There are people in that position who reckon that Pulis doesn't really want to change too much.

McClean has found purpose in an environment that expects he will always be himself.