JAMES McClean has made news headlines throughout his career, both for off-the-pitch comments and the shocking abuse he has received for expressing his views.
The Derry man’s refusal to wear a match-day shirt with a poppy around Remembrance Day has been a frequent source of friction in England.
It has led to the player receiving a barrage of abuse on social media and even a death threat.
In 2013, he was criticised for professing his love for the song The Broad Black Brimmer by The Wolfe Tones.
The song tells of a boy whose father is killed while fighting for the IRA, with the title referring to the wide-brimmed hat worn by many of the group’s members in the 1920s during the Irish War of Independence and Civil War.
McClean, who was playing for Sunderland FC at the time, was told to delete his Twitter account after a row ensued.
McClean also caused outrage in 2020 when he joked about giving his children a lesson on Irish history while wearing an IRA-style balaclava.
He was fined two weeks wages by Stoke City FC for “an inappropriate social media post” and McClean apologised for his ‘lapse in judgement’.
However, the former Derry City player has also been the victim of sickening verbal attacks for many years.
He and his wife Erin have shared screenshots of some of the abuse they have been subjected to.
McClean has said he has considered retirement in light of the abuse.
