Wrexham star James McClean has often found himself at the centre of controversy over his refusal to wear a poppy and has now revealed what his team-mates make of his stance
James McClean says his team-mates are often surprised but respectful when he explains why he chooses not to wear a poppy. The Wrexham star’s career has been marred by controversy over his continued refusal to wear the remembrance symbol on his shirt.
The former Republic of Ireland international has frequently explained his reasoning after being raised on the Creggan estate in Derry. The estate was home to around half of the 13 unarmed civilians who were shot dead by British soldiers on Bloody Sunday in 1972.
McClean has previously said he cannot wear the poppy as it represents all conflicts the UK has been involved in. He has received abuse over his stance on numerous occasions and even death threats.
However, he says other players are generally very understanding once he outlines why he has adopted that position. The issue often rears its head in the run-up to Remembrance Day and McClean has now admitted he wishes the issue that’s dogged him since he played for Sunderland in 2012 would just go away.
Speaking in an interview with Westlife singer Nicky Byrne, the 36-year-old said he had grown frustrated at constantly having to explain his beliefs. It follows him recently revealing his wife feared he’d be shot dead live on TV due to the level of animosity towards him.
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“Somehow it just keeps coming around,” McClean told Nicky Byrne HQ. “People don’t seem to grasp what I’m saying. Maybe I’m speaking a language that no one understands because it just seems to go in one ear and out the other ear. How many times can you explain yourself?
“People say, ‘Oh, here we go again.’ Well, just let it go then. Trust me, there’s nothing I would want more than to put it to bed and let it go. I just think there are people that don’t want to understand. You can’t make people like that understand. It’s just sheer ignorance.
“A lot [of team-mates] have asked about it over the years, which I appreciate. When you explain it to them, you can see that they’re actually taken aback and they’re like, ‘Oh right, I understand.’ They’re open to learning, they’re open to listening and for an explanation.”
McClean is not alone in his refusal to wear the poppy after Arsenal women’s football star Katie McCabe, who also represents the Republic of Ireland, opted against doing so during her club’s 4-1 win over Leicester on Sunday. Meanwhile, ex-West Brom player McClean found himself in the headlines this week after admitting to throwing a punch at a fan of Wrexham’s rivals Cardiff.
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The incident happened in the players’ car park outside the Racecourse Ground ahead of the all-Wales Carabao Cup clash on October 28 in what he claims was an act of self-defence. Whilst he didn’t reference that confrontation specifically, McClean told Byrne he usually tries to use abuse from opposition supporters to fuel his performance during matches.
“Everyone’s big and brave at football grounds, with the hooligan mentality,” he said. “They get their bravado out at football grounds, because they have the big invisible wall that surrounds the pitch. It is what it is and I can’t control it. I know what’s coming every single week when I step onto the pitch, especially at away grounds.
“I’m a target for abuse. The way I see it is that you can either sink or swim. You can use that as motivation or you can sink under it, so I use it for motivation. There’s nothing more satisfying when you win a game and you get to give it back.”
He added: “That’s an absolutely great feeling because you can just see the pure rage and hatred on their faces and it’s. When you get the win, it makes it much sweeter.”
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