He is never far from the headlines.
James McClean’s personal decision not to turn and face the English flag during a national anthem rendition ahead of a pre-season friendly was always going to court controversy.
While the Derry native stood silently, with his head bowed, during the anthem, his actions rang loud and clear.
He may earn a living for an English side but he does not feel compelled to pay homage to that country’s flag, nor anthem.
Of course this is not the first time McClean has gone against the grain. In late 2014, he penned an eloquent, open letter explaining why he would not be wearing a poppy-emblazoned Wigan jersey.
Now with West Brom, controversy has followed the midfielder.
In today’s Telegraph, Luke Edwards, who covers the Irish team for the paper, calls McClean’s actions ‘insulting, stupid, and hypocritical’.
Having defended McClean over his poppy stance, Edwards is grossly offended by the Irishman’s latest act of self expression.
‘McClean was trying to make a political point and while I would defend everybody’s right to protest, as well as their freedom of expression, this was a disrespectful act that hints at something ugly in his views,’ he writes.
Edwards adds, ‘If McClean hates the national anthem so much, if he finds the flag so abhorrent, maybe he should go and play in a country where he does not have to listen to or see either.’
The news outlet has run an online poll, which asks if McClean deserves criticism for his actions.
As of 1pm today, 65% of the 2,180 people that voted feel McClean does indeed deserves criticism.
The reaction across social media has not been kind to the WBA player, although some feel the Telegraph has overreacted somewhat.
https://twitter.com/BigMeek2/status/623098437727318016
What an idiot.Not old enough to remember the real troubles.Integration..? GO BACK home then #JAMESMcCLEAN https://t.co/0WHgdQhzsy
— Peter C #Politically homeless (@peterc1957) July 20, 2015
Next up in the Telegraph: If James McClean loves West Brom so much, why doesn't he marry them?
— Tom Victor (@tomvictor) July 20, 2015
https://twitter.com/the_itch1980/status/623085445476429824
