James McClean spoke out for the first time since refusing to stand with his Wrexham teammates during the Remembrance silence
McClean, originally from Derry, Northern Ireland, has refused to take part in Remembrance commemorations since moving to England to play for Sunderland 13 years ago.
It is a tradition that sees footballers wear armbands or shirts donning a Remembrance poppy.
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Indeed, on Saturday before Wrexham’s League One encounter with Mansfield, both teams stood for a minute’s silence. McClean however, stood deliberately separate.
McClean has long stressed that he refuses to observe traditions due to Britain's role in The Troubles. He grey up in the Creggan estate in Derry, where six of the people killed on Bloody Sunday in 1972 were from.
The 35-year-old has said however, he would wear a poppy if it was solely intended to as an act of remembrance for servicemen and women who died in the world wars - as this includes Irish people.
In a statement released on Instagram, McClean said: “I have addressed this matter many times, not that I should have to,but explaining it now on social media out of respect for work colleagues, team mates past and present, fans who have supported me (Wigan, Wrexham esp) for them to have a full understanding.
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“The poppy represents for me an entirely different meaning to what it does for others. Am I offended by someone wearing a poppy? No absolutely not, what does offend me tho, is having the poppy try be forced upon me.
“The poppy which originally stood for world war 1 and 2 has now been adopted into honouring and remembering British soldiers that have served in all conflicts throughout the world including those who opened fire and murdered 14 innocent civilians on bloody Sunday Jan 1972, in my home city, as well as many other brutal crimes throughout Ireland
“That is why I never have and never will wear a poppy. If the poppy’s sole purpose was to honour world war 1 and 2 then I would have no issue wearing it, but that's not the case.
“I respect those who do as I am fully aware we have different beliefs and upbringings, i would never force my beliefs on others, I’m not naive or stupid enough to expect the matter to be reciprocated, especially as the poppy is forced now on everyone in the UK and god forbid someone doesn’t wear it, the abuse they have to endure. The irony of all of this is that the poppy originally stood to honour those who fought for the right of freedom in both world wars.
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“Some people no matter what will not educate themselves or want to educate themselves, so to those who throw abuse about, (matters they know nothing about) with insults like
‘hates our country’ well I don’t, some of my best relationships I’ve made through the years are with people born and raised in England and have completely different beliefs to me.
‘Happy to work and live in the uk but take the King's shilling, send him back to his hometown to work then’ well the sad matter of fact is if i did i would still getting paid in the “Kings shillings’ unfortunately which is part of the whole problem to begin with.
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“One thing I never have and never will do, is bend the knee to compromise my convictions.”
Topics: Wrexham, Northern Ireland
Chris Byfield