Refusing to wear a poppy, a balaclava ‘school history lesson’, ‘IRA sympathiser’ claims and ‘Free Derry’ tattoo: How the Irish Wrexham star James McClean has been at centre of controversy – after saluting fans who sung ‘he hates the f***ing King’

Wrexham star James McClean’s decision to salute fans singing how he ‘hates the f***ing King’ will come as little surprise to anyone who has followed his career to date. 

The 34-year-old Irishman is well known for his staunch pro-nationalist, anti-monarchy views, and has repeatedly courted controversy for his outspoken approach over nearly two decades as a professional footballer. 

From refusing to wear a poppy and turning away during the national anthem to posing IRA-style in a balaclava in front of his children for a ‘school history lesson’ – his outbursts have regularly attracted scorn, and in some cases, official sanction. 

In his latest political gesture, McClean sported a Palestine flag badge on his collar while warming up for Wrexham for a game against Doncaster Rovers on April 2 – in an apparent breach of EFL rules restricting political statements. 

Born in Londonderry, the footballer started out playing for his local club before beginning his Premier League career with Sunderland in 2011. Spells at Wigan, West Brom and Stoke followed before he signed for Wrexham in 2023. 

Controversial Irish star James McClean saluted Wrexham fans singing a chant that includes the worlds ‘he hates the f***ing King’ 

McClean doubled down in an Instagram post, saying he ‘sang along at the top of my lungs’

Footage from Saturday shows McClean walking up to Wrexham fans who were singing for him following the Welsh side’s 6-0 thrashing of Forest Green Rovers that secured them promotion into League One.

The Irishman is seen urging the crowd to continue singing the song, one line of which says: ‘He hates the f***ing King’.

It came just a few weeks after Prince William visited Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground to meet staff and players, and hear about how the club has risen since the takeover by Hollywood stars Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds.

King Charles met the Hollywood duo on his own visit to Wrexham in December 2022, while Prince William met McElhenney, manager Phil Parkinson, plus players Ben Tozer and Luke Young on St David’s Day last month.

Taking to Instagram, McClean shared a screenshot of a MailOnline story about the song incident and wrote: ‘Is this correct? Absolutely and I also sang along at the top of my lungs.’

He added: ‘Do I make any apologies for doing so? Absolutely not.

McClean first made headlines in 2012 over his personal decision not to wear a poppy in the lead-up to Remembrance Day, a decision which led to him being booed by some of his own fans. 

He continued this stance throughout his career in England, leading to him being targeted by sectarian abuse. 

McClean was celebrating with the Wrexham fans after they earned promotion at the weekend

It came just a few weeks after Prince William visited Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground to meet staff and players 

The footballer could be seen wearing a Palestine flag badge on his collar for a game against Doncaster Rovers on April 2 

Explaining the decision, he cited Bloody Sunday – which saw British Soldiers shoot dead 26 unarmed civilians in his home city of Londonderry, known to nationalists as Derry. 

The Irish international later hit out at the abuse he had received for the decision and insisted he only wanted ‘respect’. 

He told Sky News: ‘I wouldn’t say: ‘Oh, look at him wearing a poppy.’ It doesn’t bother me that people have their views. I understand that people have different values from me and different beliefs. 

‘I respect that. Just because I don’t fall in line, that doesn’t mean I disrespect or I hate you. All I’m asking for is to be respected for my beliefs in return. It’s as simple as that.’ 

After being booed by Wigan fans in 2022, the footballer took to Instagram to complain of the abuse he had been receiving. 

He wrote: ‘For my son, who is seven years old and watches every Wigan game… to be asking his mother, ‘why are they booing and singing that song at Daddy?’ And to have to tip toe around answering him is something which should not be happening.’

The FA previously investigated fans singing anti-Pope and anti-IRA songs towards McClean on a number of occasions.

Last September, McClean admitted regrets about posting a controversial picture of himself in lockdown ‘jokingly’ home schooling his children in a balaclava, which was interpreted as a reference to the IRA 

McClean turned away from the cross of St George when the British national anthem played during a pre-season friendly for West Brom in 2015

Last September, McClean admitted regrets about posting a controversial picture of himself in lockdown ‘jokingly’ home schooling his children in a balaclava, which was interpreted as a reference to the IRA.

The image shared on an Instagram story to his 22,000 followers depicts him sitting on a box with two young children sitting on the carpet attentively in front of him.

McClean was fined two weeks of wages by Stoke City for the post in 2020. It was subsequently removed. 

He called the post a ‘mistake’, adding: ‘I regret it in one sense because it’s given people now an opportunity to say “well he brings it on himself.” Every time my name gets brought up, they just attach that picture to it.

‘That was just bad judgement on my part. It was supposed to be a joke and it wasn’t a joke. And it turned out just to be an absolute disaster judgement call. It’s given people an opportunity to justify the abuse.’

McClean first made a name for himself in the Premier League in 2011 as he joined Sunderland – playing 70 times for the Black Cats. 

In 2013 he was banned from X after he professed his love for The Broad Black Brimmer, a song by the Wolfe Tones that tells of a boy whose father is killed while fighting for the IRA during the 1920s.

DUP MP Gregory Campbell called for Sunderland to sack McClean if he made another similar outburst. 

Inked just below one a tattoo of Free Derry – – a self-declared autonomous Irish nationalist area of the city in the Troubles – McClean has a quote from author and playwright Enid Bagnold 

The winger Wigan in 2013, where he enjoyed 86 outings, before heading to West Bromwich Albion in 2015. 

But he quickly broke ranks with his new teammates by turning to his right and facing downwards as the British national anthem was played before a pre-season friendly at the Blackbaud Stadium in Charleston, South Carolina.

McClean went on to help the Premier League side defeat American opponents Charleston Battery 2-1, but his actions prompted angry exchanges on social media. 

The footballer has described himself as a ‘proud Fenian’ and has a tattoo of Free Derry – a self-declared autonomous Irish nationalist area of the city during the Troubles. 

The winger, who has 103 caps for the Republic of Ireland, joined Wigan for two years before moving to Wrexham in August 2023. He has netted four goals during 42 appearances so far. 

Last year, he revealed he had been diagnosed with autism.  

Wrexham has become famous around the world after it was taken over by actors Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds and featured on popular Disney+ documentary Welcome To Wrexham.