Left-footed playmaker, free-kick taker, promotion winner and Northern Ireland international. That is Grant McCann, who has just announced his retirement from playing, in a nutshell.
The Belfast-born maestro, who began his career with West Ham, would later become an important player for Cheltenham Town, first on loan and then a permanent deal during 2002/03, a season in which Cheltenham then graced the third tier of football then known as Division Two (now League One). His lethal left foot and creative play became crucial for a side that would win promotion three years later, and he had already won international recognition with a Northern Ireland side that was becoming competitive again after many years in the doldrums. McCann then moved to Barnsley, again first on loan and then permanently.
In 2008, McCann signed for Scunthorpe United, who were then in the Championship. Although Scunthorpe would go down after one season, it would be here that McCann raised his game even further as the team’s central-playmaker. Under the management of Nigel Adkins, Scunthorpe would play some neat football with McCann at the hub, and they would bounce straight back through the play-offs. This time, Scunthorpe made a good fist of the Championship and stayed up fairly comfortably, but McCann would move on to Peterborough United, who had been relegated after a season in the Championship.
What followed was rather special. Under Gary Johnson and then the returning Darren Ferguson, Peterborough United would hit the headlines by seemingly being unable to stop scoring goals. McCann, of course, was the pivot of this free-scoring side that would in 2010/11 score 106 goals and concede 75, adding seven for and three against in the play-offs that they ultimately won. McCann was not only a regular scorer, but one of the most prolific providers of assists in the entire League, his class making a big difference. There had not been anything like it, in terms of scoring goals for fun, for a very long time.
Peterborough, and McCann, carried this over into the Championship where they started 2011/12 rather well and hammered Ipswich Town 7-1 in a result that sent yet more shockwaves. Unfortunately, Darren Ferguson’s side could not sustain this form, although they stayed up. The following season was not so lucky, for in a very tight Championship pack, Peterborough would be relegated with one of the highest-ever points tallies (54) for a relegated side, only going down on the final day after a good run had got them within sight of an escape. While they made the League One play-offs in 2013/14, the past season has been rather more disappointing. McCann would leave during the season for Linfield in Northern Ireland.
With David Robertson replacing Darren Ferguson, McCann is now back at Peterborough as assistant manager. He retires as a legend of the club, and still held in high regard elsewhere he played, where he was pivotal to one of its more successful periods.
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At international level, McCann’s career coincided with a revival in the fortunes of Northern Ireland, who have since been restored to international respectability. It is unfortunate for McCann that Northern Ireland did not qualify for a World Cup or European Championships during his on-field career, his skills would be showcased on the stage they very much deserved. At his peak with Scunthorpe and Peterborough, few can doubt that he was one of the best in the divisions he played in. In coaching, he will surely continue to contribute his quality to the game.
And Northern Ireland will hope that someone of similar quality will emerge on the playing field. But that is the hardest part.
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