Northern Ireland defender Paddy McNair is loving his new surroundings in the United States of America.
Last summer the 29-year-old penned a three-year contract with MLS side San Diego FC before being immediately loaned out to EFL Championship outfit West Bromwich Albion at the start of this season.
His stay at the Hawthorns was marred by a hamstring injury which kept him out for eight weeks.
However, since switching to his parent club in the US in January, he has made a full recovery and is now a key member of a brand new team competing in the Western Conference of Major League Soccer.
“My new surroundings are brilliant and I am really enjoying it,” he told irishfa.com.
San Diego FC, who were only established in 2023 after securing an MLS franchise as an expansion team, played their first MLS game on 24 February.
They secured a fine 2-0 win away against LA Galaxy in their debut match and McNair was in the back four on the historic occasion.
And he was calling the shots in the defence once again when San Diego followed it up with a home goalless draw against St Louis. Next up is a trip to Real Salt Lake this Sunday.
“We have had a good start. It’s a tough league with a lot of really good players,” said McNair.
The defender, who has scored seven goals in 73 senior appearances for his country, admitted his new team-mates sometimes find it hard to understand his accent, but he has settled in well in the dressing room, the city and the state of California.
San Diego are playing their home games at Snapdragon Stadium, a 35,000-seat venue owned by San Diego State University.
McNair is impressed by the already massive fan base. The team’s first home MLS match was completely sold out.
There’s a strong and vibrant Mexican following for the club as San Diego is close to the border. In fact it’s just 17 miles from downtown to the Mexican state of Baja California.
While he is enjoying life in the Golden State, he expects to make regular visits home.
The defender insisted he will play for his country as long as he can. Long trips from West Coast to East Coast and long flights across the vast Atlantic Ocean will definitely not prevent him from doing so.
McNair added that he hopes to be included in Michael O’Neill’s squad for the upcoming friendlies against Switzerland and Sweden. The Northern Ireland squad will be announced on Tuesday.
