Why does James McClean not wear a poppy? Wrexham & Ireland star's reasons explained

If you are a new Wrexham supporter, you may not be up to speed with the history of James McClean and the poppy...

Fans of Wrexham became better acquainted with James McClean when the Irish footballer joined the Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney revolution at the Racecourse Ground in 2023.

It didn't take the Republic of Ireland centurion long to endear himself to supporters of the North Wales club, thanks to a number of big performances alongside his generally combative and competitive nature.

What some fans, particularly the new and growing overseas contingent of Wrexham supporters, may not have been aware of is the level of abuse that McClean regularly receives from opposition fans and it can be particularly intense in November, when he eschews the wearing of a poppy on his jersey.

Here, GOAL explains why he chooses not to wear the poppy and the background of the now annual controversy.

James McClean does not wear a remembrance poppy because he feels it would be a mark of disrespect to innocent people who lost their lives during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, particularly those from his hometown of Derry, where the 1972 Bloody Sunday massacre occurred.

McClean has consistently refused to wear the poppy during his football career in the United Kingdom, which started in 2011 when he joined then-Premier League side Sunderland. His decision to not wear the poppy has seen him receive abuse from the terraces and threats online, as well as prompting a wider debate around the topic.

In 2014, when playing for Wigan Athletic, McClean published a letter to the club chairman Dave Whelan outlining his reasons for not wearing the flower, explaining that, if the symbol was exclusively for the victims of World War I and World War II, he