‘Absolute animal!’ - ‘Hardest-working’ Wrexham player revealed as Ben Foster salutes star that endures ‘brutal’ training sessions for the good of Ryan Reynolds & Rob McElhenney’s cause

The experienced Irish winger signed for the Red Dragons in the summer of 2023, as he dropped down from League One at Wigan to join an ambitious project in North Wales. McClean jumped at the chance to link up with Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at SToK Racecourse.

A brave career call has been rewarded with another promotion for Wrexham, with McClean giving his all to the collective cause. His versatility has been put to good use by Phil Parkinson, while his fiery character can always be relied upon to get under the skin of opponents that could do without any kind of distraction.

Foster, who started the season at Wrexham but headed into retirement after just five games, has told his Fozcast podcast of the most impressive trainer in Parkinson’s squad: “I think James McClean is the hardest-working player I have ever come across in my life! The very first day that he signed, I used to get in early and get on the bike and do my session and I got in there probably an hour before the rest of the lads got in.

"As I open the gym door I can hear – I don’t what it’s called, Ergo Ski or something – it’s the most brutal thing in the world. There are two battle ropes running alongside it and he’s on this Ergo Ski sweating his tree off and I’m just like ‘you alright, mate’ and he looks at me as if to say ‘not now, I’m dying!’ He gives me a thumbs up and carries on. He’s straight on to the battle rope, he’s doing a circuit. This is at like eight in the morning. I’m like ‘you’re an absolute animal!’ I get on my bike and that is James McClean in a nutshell. He was like that every day. Genuinely, every day.”

That hard work has paid off for McClean, as he was able to take in 44 appearances for Wrexham across all competitions as they claimed a runners-up finish in League Two. He will be back for more next season, following a celebratory trip to Las Vegas, with an extension option in the 35-year-old’s contract being taken up.