Irish footballer James McClean made headlines again for his strong republican stance. This time, he’s given his view on a controversial Wrexham chant.
Since joining Wrexham, former Premier League footballer and Irish international James McClean has established himself as a firm fans’ favourite.
Rather than vilify him for his republican leanings, Wrexham supporters have embraced McClean and his stance, as evidenced by the controversial chant on the stands of the Racecourse Ground.
The chant, which alludes to McClean’s – ahem – disliking of the British monarchy, has caused a stir in the wake of Wrexham’s promotion from League Two, and the footballer has given his say on the matter.
James McClean – as famous for his politics as his football
James McClean has rightly established himself as one of the best Irish football players in recent years. The Derry man earned 103 caps and scored 11 goals for his country before announcing his retirement towards the end of 2023.
After breaking through at his local club, Derry City, McClean graced the Premier League with Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion, and has represented Wigan Athletic and Stoke City in England’s lower divisions.
He currently plays for League Two side Wrexham, whose stock has risen in recent years thanks to high-profile investment from American actors Rob McElhenny and Ryan Reynolds and the popular FX docuseries Welcome to Wrexham.
Despite his merits as a footballer, McClean enjoys notoriety in England for his strong Irish republican stance. This first became apparent in 2012, when he refused to wear a Remembrance Day poppy on his Sunderland shirt.
To anyone familiar with Irish history, McClean’s stance isn’t difficult to understand, given the horrors inflicted by the British Army in his hometown during the Troubles. However, his stance has made him a hate figure in England for most of his career.
The chant – “…and he hates the f**king king”
Clearly, the majority Welsh support of his current club, Wrexham, have no qualms with McClean’s nationalist stance. A chant referencing his anti-monarchy stance regularly rings out at the Racecourse Ground.
The chant, to the tune of ABBA’s ‘Voulez-Vous’ goes as follows:
James McClean, aha
Running down the wing, aha
Makes the Wrexham sing, aha
And he hates the f**king king
McClean’s response – unapologetic
Wrexham won promotion to League One last week with a 6-0 victory over bottom-placed team Forest Green Rovers. It marks a second successive promotion for the club after winning the National League in 2023.
Jubilant Wrexham supporters serenaded their heroes at the end of the match, including giving the above James McClean chant an airing.
McClean was criticised by many in the British press for apparently encouraging the supporters’ singing and took to Instagram to address the controversy.
Alongside a screenshot of an article in the Daily Mail, McClean wrote, “Is this correct? Absolutely, and I also sang along at the top of my lungs.
“Do I make any apologies for doing so?” he continued. “Absolutely not”.
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