James McClean refuses to join team-mates for Remembrance silence

Footballer James McClean stood separately from Wrexham and Mansfield players observing a minute of silence as he refused to wear a poppy on the weekend of Remembrance Day fixtures.

The 35-year-old was named as a starter in the League One clash at the Racecourse Ground on Saturday and decided to stand by his previous decision to not don a poppy.

Games taking place across the United Kingdom throughout the remembrance weekend typically see players either wear an armband featuring a poppy or a shirt with the iconic flower etched into it.

However, as McClean doesn't support the tradition, the Northern Irishman instead stood on his own away from the group of players who were paying their respects.

Wrexham supporters also began to chant he 'hates the f***ing King' just moments after the moment of silence ended with McClean previously hailing fans singing in the stands.

In April, McClean celebrated with 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 at the time was seen urging the crowd to continue singing the song referencing the Royal family.

That incident 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 in April, 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 has continued this stance throughout his career in England, leading to him being targeted by sectarian abuse. 

The former Premier League full-back was born in Londonderry, Northern Ireland and chooses not to wear a poppy because he feels it shows disrespect to people who died during the Troubles in his home nation.

McClean's hometown was the location of the infamous 1972 Bloody Sunday massacre and the controversial Wrexham star believes the poppy is disrespectful to the memory of those who died in the incident.

He previously stated that if the poppy was only used to memorialise those who died solely in WW1 and WW2 then he would be happy to oblige with the show of respect.

His decision has previously seen McClean suffer torrents of abuse from angry supporters that view his poppy snub as an insult to the memory of armed forces personnel who have lost their lives in combat. 

The Republic of Ireland international is a divisive figure in professional football having previously issued calls for a united Ireland, refused to wear a poppy as is tradition in fixtures throughout November and once posed IRA-style in a balaclava in front of his children for a 'school history lesson'.

In September, he clashed with Birmingham City supporters when being substituted and later called a fan at the match a 'smelly fat gammon' after catching a cup of Bovril that had been thrown at him.

The fallout from the game also saw McClean honour a previous IRA fighter in an Instagram post stating: 'They have nothing in their whole imperial arsenal that can break the spirit of an Irishman who doesn't want to be broken.'