“Playing for Derry means everything to me" - Patrick McClean
Patrick McClean produced a man-of-the-match display during Derry City’s 1-0 victory over St Patrick’s Athletic at the Ryan McBride Brandywell on Monday evening, ending the Inchicore side’s title aspirations.
A second-half header from Kevin Santos proved the decisive moment, but at the other end, McClean made a series of goal-saving interventions while remaining rock solid alongside Jamie Stott. The pair have developed into a formidable centre-back partnership in recent weeks.
While Derry’s league campaign will not ultimately define their 2026 season, the focus within the camp is firmly on November’s Club Orange FAI Cup final showdown with Waterford United, with the winners securing European football for next season. However, with two league games still to play, McClean believes preparations for the final must begin now, with plenty still at stake in the build-up to the showpiece.
“We knew it was going to be very tough. Pats are obviously going for the league. There’s talk of us playing for nothing now in the league, but when you pull on that jersey and play in the Brandywell, you’re playing for everything. You’re playing for pride, for the city, so it means a lot for us as well to go out there and play in front of the fans.
“I was quite hurt going out to play against a team coming to the Brandywell who are challenging for a league title, and we’re not. So we needed to use that as motivation, and obviously it worked.
“It’s just about building momentum. Winning is a habit; you can’t just switch it on and off whenever you want. You’ve got to build momentum going into that final. We know that we can’t just turn up on the day and expect to put in a performance. We’ve got to build it now.
“There are a lot of places up for grabs at the moment. You’ve seen the changes in the past few games, so it’s about people cementing their places for that final.”
Once again, controversy has engulfed the Ryan McBride Brandywell, with McClean’s older brother James making headlines off the pitch following comments about mental health. In an interview with The Sunday Independent, the former Wrexham captain said he had never tried therapy because “as a man I would see that as a weakness”.
A prolonged hip injury has kept the Creggan native out of matchday squads since July, while a protracted saga over the termination of his contract made headlines in August.
It is the latest in a long line of off-field controversies surrounding the former Republic of Ireland international’s return to his hometown club. However, despite the uncertainty surrounding his brother’s future at Derry, Patrick has continued to excel on the pitch.
“Playing for Derry means everything to me. I think you can see that on the pitch, but I love playing here. I love being home, having my family and friends come down to watch, and I would love to spend many more years doing this.
“There’s obviously a lot of noise off the pitch. I’m just worried about getting better, what I’m doing away from the pitch, my recovery, my eating, doing extra work, just living and breathing football, and I feel like it’s paying off.
“I’ve had the conversation with James. As I’ve said before, I’ll back him to the hilt; he’s my brother. But I’m my own man; I’ve got my own responsibilities and my own career, and I just have to stay fully focused on that.
“I’m not sure if he’ll ever be back playing for Derry. I really don’t know. Obviously, I’d love to see it. It was an honour to share the pitch with him, but it’s not my call. I can only wish him well with whatever happens, and I’ll be there to support him. It’s a sad affair, but it is what it is now.”