This man’s generosity knows no bounds.
Time and time again, James McClean is there to help the people of Derry.
At times of tragedy, a small act of kindness goes a long way and, every time, one man seems to be there willing to lend a hand.
The Republic of Ireland international takes plenty of abuse. Silly things like people expecting him to wear a poppy, having back and forths with former clubs’ fans and generally being an aggressive player on the pitch have given him a reputation he isn’t owed.
Silently though, he just gets on with it and gives everything he can on and off the field.
It was a night for passion, it was a night for spilling guts, it was a night for James McClean https://t.co/Y5kV3fq0QI
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) June 23, 2016
As historic and monumental his performances on the pitch are though, it is his contributions off it that really mark James McClean out. They’re really what touch the community most.
And they have been non-stop.
1. In the summer, he paid £1,000 to help pay for the funeral costs of young Ronan McGavigan.
James McClean's gesture to mourning Derry family goes way beyond what should be expected https://t.co/nH7D3K9SvD
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) July 19, 2016
2. Then he helped pay for the surgery of a young Derry man.
The West Brom player donated almost £700 to the McBride family whose son James underwent life-saving open heart surgery in London.
3. He paid for a hand cycle bike for a young girl with Spina Bifida.
4. He donated £1,000 to a young girl with a rare cancer.
Sharon Cleary, mother of four-year-old Darragh, has rhabdomyosarcoma, thanked the Republic of Ireland midfielder for donating £1,000 to help pay for specialist proton therapy in Florida.
“I received a message to say James was trying to get in contact with me, then I received a text from James himself saying he was sorry to hear about Darragh and that he would like to donate the money and a signed jersey.”
“I thanked him and he said he was glad he could help and that he would keep Darragh in his prayers.”
5. He joined the touching campaign for a victim of the Buncrana tragedy.
Before he got rid of his Twitter account, McClean tweeted to Justin Bieber on behalf of Jodi Lee Daniels.
6. He donated to the homeless in Derry at Christmas.
He never forgets where he came from.
“Thanks to James McClean for joining together with me to make a donation to The House in the Wells and Foyle Valley House,” Vincent Sweeney wrote on his Facebook page at the time.
7. He sponsored his old club’s GAA kits.
“The club would like to thank former Seán Dolan’s player James McClean for offering to sponsor a new team kit for the senior team,” the club statement read. “Fair play James for not forgetting your roots and thanks very much.”
8. He reached out to help another family in mourning with another unbelievable contribution.
Derry teenager, Ryan Higgins, passed away suddenly on Thursday and left the Creggan area shaken. According to the Derry Journal, James McClean pledged £1,000 the family to try and help in some way at such a tragic time.
The article reads:
One person wrote on Facebook: “Love being part of the Derry community because in times like this when everyone is there for each other and everyone comes together, makes me even prouder seeing James McClean donate £1,000 to help Ryan’s family and Mohamed Ali [a local shop owner] helping everyone out in a time of need, people like you are a credit to the city.”
Fair play, folks. That’s good Derry men for you. And James McClean is one of the best of them.
Wherever he goes, he’ll always be a Derry man. He’ll be a good man.
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