After a very rocky start to the Championship season, James McClean has certainly found his feet under Michael O'Neill. The appointment of the Northern Ireland boss at Stoke City seems to have given the winger a new lease of life, putting in some strong performances in recent weeks.
With McClean being in the headlines for some of the abuse he has suffered at the hands of opposition supporters, it could be easy to overlook his change in form.
However, he has been a constant in the team one of Stoke's better players as they dragged themselves out of the relegation zone.
He got on the scoresheet this afternoon netting in injury time to seal a 2-0 win against Swansea. It was a typical McClean goal, latching onto a loose touch from an opposition defender to fire the ball between the goalkeeper's legs.
This is the type of goal McClean would often pop up with for Ireland when he was at his best, most notably in qualification for the 2018 World Cup.
Having been an ever-present under Mick McCarthy it is encouraging to see McClean pick up his form after what was a fairly mixed year in 2019.
With the Slovakia play-off just around the corner, it will be hoped he can produce moments such as this on the international stage once again.
