By Harry Walsh
TALENTED Amercian midfielder Pat McCann has informed Finn Harps FC that he will not be returning to Ireland for the 2015 season.
McCann has distant family ties to Donegal but up until the summer of 2013 the American had never set foot in the county.
He’s a fourth generation Irish-American, whose great grandparents hailed from Clonmany, and the midfielder jumped at the chance to sign on at Finn Park, having impressed Peter Hutton, the Harps manager, during a fortnight on trial at the club.
He’d been on trial previously with both Sligo Rovers and Dundalk, but the Premier Division title chasers passed on him.
In a letter to the club this week, McCann confirmed that, unfortunately, he would not be returning to Ireland this January to begin the 2015 season.
“That being said I want to thank everyone at Finn Harps Football Club for their kindness, warmth, and overall support for the past season and a half.
It was truly an honour and a privilege to represent such a fine football club.
“I wish everyone from the players to the coaches, the supporters to the staff, and all those in between the very best for the upcoming season. Happy New Year, and Up the Harps,” he wrote.
From Rockville Centre, New York, McCann enjoyed his brief sojourn in the League of Ireland.
In an interview in the Donegal News not long after joining Harps, McCann said he had been impressed with the standard.
“You can see in the training that there are good quality players here. I like the professional etiqutte that teams and clubs bring in Ireland. It’s something that maybe is still growing in America. The League of Ireland is a very good starting block if you’re trying to pursue a career in soccer.”
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