James McClean has been described as a "maniac" by a Wrexham teammate on account of his intense training regime. The former Ireland international, who captains the Red Dragons, is well known for keeping himself in good shape and regularly spends time in the gym.
Even at the age of 35, McClean shows no sign of slowing down and has made 41 appearances for the Welsh side so far this season. With four games of their campaign left to play, the League One club owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are chasing their third successive promotion.
One of the Derryman's Wrexham colleagues has now lifted the lid on what he's like behind the scenes after praising him for his strong work ethic. Midfielder Ollie Rathbone also hailed McClean for his excellent leadership in the changing room during an interview on the Men in Blazers podcast.
"James McClean trains harder than anyone else I've ever played with," said Rathbone. "He's a maniac, but in a good way. Every single session, he's at it 100 per cent in the gym, before training and after training. He leaves no stone unturned to be at his best on Saturday.
"That ultimately makes you want to do your best, because if you see the captain doing it and senior players doing it, it rubs off on everyone in the squad. Everyone knows then that they can't afford to cut corners."
McClean is one of a handful of players in the Wrexham dressing room with experience of playing at the top level, including former Scotland international Steven Fletcher. The 38-year-old has score some vital goals this season, earning him the "super-sub" label.
Rathbone described both Fletcher and McClean as being well-liked figures in the dressing room. "To be fair to Jimmy and Fletch, they don't hold themselves any higher than the rest of us due to the career they've had," he said.
"They get on with things as usual but they are great influences to have. We have lots of fantastic senior players like [goalkeeper] Mark Howard. They have not so much an aura, but a sense of respect around the room.
"They've been there, they've done it, and you look at them and know that they're not going to go under or be flustered by anything. Ultimately, they're really popular and genuine guys."
He added: "When you're training alongside these guys every day and they're working really hard, you think, 'He's ten years older than me. I can't have a day off today if he's not taking a day off.'"
Rathbone is not the only teammate of McClean's to flag his excellent fitness levels. Fellow Wrexham wing-back Jacob Mendy also previously admitted to being blown away by his impressive work rate.
Mendy said: "James is a different breed. I don't know how he does it. I really admire his work ethic. He is a very good player but he is a good man as well. I have a very good relationship with him."
Wrexham are currently placed in the second automatic promotion spot in League One after Birmingham City recently secured the title. Phil Parkinson's side are just one point ahead of rivals Wycombe Wanderers as their season reaches a nail-biting conclusion.
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