SUNDERLAND WINGER JAMES McClean has identified one of the reasons why he chose to play for the Republic rather than Northern Ireland in an interview today.
Speaking on Off the Ball, McClean described how Catholic players “feel as if they’re not wanted” when playing for the North
McClean said: “You see all all the flags and sectarian chants, and you don’t feel part of that.”
His words come in the wake of his decision to leave Twitter, after receiving a torrent of sectarian abuse recently.
The player also said his decision to play for Northern Ireland at under-21 level was made purely to help his career, adding:
“When you get an international call-up when you’re young, you’re thinking: ‘Wow, it’s international football.’”
The player recalled how growing up playing Gaelic football had helped give him a “tougher mentality” that has enabled him to thrive in soccer.
Similarly, speaking of his much-praised attitude to the game, he said:
“I have the mindset that at the end of the game, I want to be the best player on the pitch.”
And in relation to his recent inclusion in Ireland’s Euro 2012 squad, McClean explained:
“I’ve made the squad, that’s an honour in itself, but I don’t want to make up the numbers.”
The 23-year-old has been a revelation at Sunderland this season, and has just been named the club’s Young Player of the Year.
Their loss our gain !
No wonder the N.I team is crap. Bigots can stay at the bottom. Losers
“Look at us aren’t we great, aren’t they backward and bigoted we hate them, but let’s bring them and their supporters into our team”
And there have been many Protestants that have played for Ireland. Wouldn’t happen here thankfully. Small minded bigots
The songs, chants,flags and attitude of the Northern Ireland supporters are causing many players wanting to play for the ROI, who could blame them ? Politics should not be involved in sport !! But typical anti Irish, anti catholic minorities are still around…..
Well done northern ireland. Keep it up. Drive your talent away down south to us. Thanks.
I remember a game we played against them when billy Bingham was the manager, it was the most disgusting thing I ever saw, he was egging the supporters on to chant louder, he was a disgrace
Michael It was Bingham who said that his team N Ireland would never unite with the Rep. Maybe if those orange bigots had read The Journal today and seen all the praise given to their master prince Charles, although once a bigot always a bigot.
It was shocking
Neil Lennon got death threats for playing for them. McLean gets them for not. What’ll keep them happy…
For the bigots? Well six counties with no Catholics for a start.
No brainer, how could you play for a country where the majority of the supporters think you’re a second class citizen. He’s dead right, besides he is 100% Irish, so fully entitled to play for us. Well done James now go and them how good you are.
What’s a 100% Irish mean? Catholic only?
@chelseajoe 100% Irish is not having vitriolic hatred for another region in the country.
I don’t have a problem with one side or the other.
I’ve even heard ‘oh that’s a free state number’ when I give my mobile in the 6. I just laugh to myself at their ignorance but I don’t get angry. It just shows their ignorance.
D
I’m an NI fan, and frankly I couldn’t care less about the background of a player, even less so when we have such a small pool of talented players to pick from.
I’m disappointed that McClean has decided to play for ROI, but thats his prerogative and I respect that. It’s not as if he’s beaten about the bush, and has been pretty frank as to why he played underage for NI.
There are idiots out there who are tarnishing the reputation of the GAWA, and it’s saddening that where definite progress has been made, the actions of some small-minded people focus the spotlight on their actions and opinions, allowing a nice angle for the media to cover the story from.
Well said Ryan but I’m still glad he’s playing for the Republic.
Ryan, I’m a RoI fan and despite my uni house being less than a mile away from Windsor Park I would never dream of going to match because of the flags, fans and english anthem!
Only way forward is an All Ireland team!
@Ryan – One of the best comments on a sporting theme that I’ve read here in a long time.
Sadly, idiocy has no cure – and both James’ and the morons’ comments needed to be tempered. He seems to be a good young lad, and a decent player, but his messianic qualities need to be played down – seen it all before – Colin Healy, Liam Miller etc.
Ideally there would be one national side, like Rugby/cricket/golf/gaa-Aussie rules and politics would not matter (I think it was the FAI who left the IFA in 1920′s). The suits and bigots would never stand for it though.
Young nationalist footballers from the north can’t be coached or progressed by the FAI at underage level, therefore they have little option but to represent Northern Ireland at underage even thought the British/Unionist symbols and culture may intimidate them. Can u really blame a northern nationalist for declaring for the Republic if given the chance. They are culturally at ease with the tri-colour, national anthem and thankfully no sectarianism. How many English/Scottish men have represented The Republic at this stage?? Time for the IFA in Belfast to reform or continue to loose players to the South.
Most are small minded fools who know nothing better than abuse and bigotry. Let them stay in last century.
But heaven forbid that you might say something that might be construed as bigotry.
I know Chelsea Joe. It’s strange how some people can’t take a gentle ribbing from the fans, like “we’re going to kill u, u fuppin Taig”.
After all the hassle James is geting I hope Trap. picks him.
He will Trap has been amazing at selecting young talent for us
Not to forget the bigots of Scotland. Mcgeady’mccarthey……..Gibson,McCLean….haha. keep it up you racist and sectarian Neanderthals.
Oh dear, it would seem bigotry works both ways. “Northerners” are not Irish? I’m sure a substantial amount the nationalist community would disagree. Also, do you have to be Catholic to be Irish? There are some Protestant nationalists you know, and not all Unionists are “bigoted, racist fascists”. Is it any wonder Ireland is divided with such outrageous sectarian attitudes as yours? – Build bridges, not walls.
He’s just one clown who doesn’t speak for the rest of us.
If he wants to play for his country let him off.
I am a fan of Northern Ireland and Must say that the idiots abusing Mcclean do not represent us. They are a vocal minority that sadly every team, international or from the lowest pub team, has to put up with.
Northern Ireland has made great strides in recent years to cut out sectarian behaviour. It is not acceptable. Never has been. I’m just saddened that so many of you here choose to believe that this is the rule rather than the exception bringing up examples from decades ago.
Yes Northern Ireland needs some changes still. I personally resent that the national games are held in Windsor Park home of a team that makes Rangers seem like hare Krishnas. I’m from East Belfast originally and I don’t feel comfortable going to Windsor Park.
However please try and see things from the Norn Iron pov here. You see a bright young prospect receive coaching and help from the national set up then as soon as he gets a professional contract he turns his back on that help. It is a slap in the face.
As far as the twitter incident goes. I hope the idiots that posted those sectarian messages get taken to task. Recent events have shown that Twitter isn’t the safe haven they’d like to think. On the other hand young James hardly covered himself I’m glory by responding to them the antagonistic way he did. Both sides are diminished from the exchanges.
Steve. Do you as a Northern Ireland fan see any merit in calls for an All Ireland team? I personally believe it could work if all anthems and national flags are removed, and the home venue is shared between Dublin and Belfast. We both follow a team in green after all. I would be interested to hear the views from your side.
Good to hear hear work has been done to stamp out this kind of thing but it would seem a lot more is needed. I’m sure there’s Protestant players who would choose to play for ROI if they too didn’t feel threatened and they’d be welcomed by me. It might just happen if attitudes aren’t changed by this small minority who are ruining northern Irish football and it’s appeal and reputation.
@silent P. I’ve considered the calls for an Ireland soccer team very seriously.
It has it’s advantages and disadvantages. It would give us a great pool of talent to choose from. Healy (when he was on his form a few years ago) and Keane up front would have been a nightmare for the opposition.
A united team would also force Northern Catholics and Protestants to interact, a terrifying prospect to many in the north.
The main disadvantage would be that the Irish League would lose it’s European places. At the moment Linfield have a strangle hold on the league because they receive good money from NI games and windsor park is maintained by the IFA. My own team Glentoran would go under as European money is one of the things keeping the Glens afloat.
There would be major obstacles in forming a United team. NI fans would stand for the Soldier Song no more than Republic fans would stand for God Save the Queen. Irelands call is not the solution there.
There is also the question of which players would make it into the squad. Any time a player gets dropped or isn’t called up when he thinks he should there would be calls of biggotry and sectarianism. Would the Celtic supporting section of the crowd give Kyle Lafferty, for example, a warm welcome to Dublin. I do remember seeing young McGinn get a standing ovation from the NI crowd but would he get the same if he played a stinker.
I welcome an all-Ireland team as a welcome a United Ireland but the vast majority of the people just aren’t ready for it yet. Maybe in a generation or 2.
Chelseajoe, 100% irish means Irish, nothing to do with religion. Things like;
RTE
Knowing what the craic is
White pudding
Proper sausages
Red lemonade
GAA Sunday’s in the summer
Wanting to beat England in everything
Irish Music
Having a bet
Negative equity (although James may not know this one these days)
Newgrange, Giants Causeway, Etc..
Countless Ryanair & Aer Lingus flights
Jacks, Rebels,BIFFO’s,Northies etc..
A sense of belonging to Ireland
It goes on & on
BTW I’m an atheist so couldn’t care less what religion anyone is.
In fairness whether an Irish player plays for Rangers or Celtic is irrelevant as the Scottish league has never been worse! Our top scoring premier league striker this season is Robbie Keane, Jon Daly has scored 19 goals in Scotland and wasn’t even considered!
Anyway, welcome to the fold James McClean, give it socks!!!
Silent p…. No sectarianism in the republic???…. Who was the last glasgow rangers player to play for the republic of ireland? Also some ROI fans don’t exactly give rangers players a warm welcome when they come to play for their country in landsdown.
And errrm,why should Ireland fans give a warm welcome to a player who is employed by fans and board that gave the world “the Famine Song”
Also,your question would be more accurately rephrased in reverse. Why haven’t rangers ever signed a ROI player?
you don’t know what you are talking about. go away…..fool.
Enter the bigot defense lol
The Rangers booing at the matches is only friendly banter. If the ifa want to attract both sides of the community then they need a new flag and anthem and ban secretarianism from matches. Make it inclusive for catholics rather than making it feel like you’re playing in a prison.
Desperate nonsense Ian.
They don’t get a cold reception for their religion.They get it for their association with an institution that is fanatically anti Irish.
Can you blame us?
Oh,dear,you obviously didn’t get the memo either.
You can always find a very isolated case to back up any argument. No ROI player has received mail bombs or bullets in the post because of their religion or not playing for the country. Eg Stephen Ireland. What many NI fans engage in is pure sectarianism and bigotry on a whole different level. I feel sorry for the decent NI fan who welcome Catholic/Celtic players like Paddy McCann. I don’t think any ROI player could play for Rangers. Many Rangers fans would revolt IMO.
When will people realise that the ‘northerners’ are not Irish. They’re Scottish settlers dumped here by british governments to colonise Ulster. They’re bigoted, racist fascists. A wall around ulster would get my vote
I gave your racist tripe a green thumb accidentally, my bad!
Yeah that wall practically existed and it didnt work very well for the catholic ‘then’ minority. I am glad this came out, so many of the current generation in the south will know very little of the civil rights situation in NI. I am 34 and it didn’t get covered in school.
The gentleman/lady who chooses to represent him/herself with a picture of Homer Simpson obviously isn’t familiar with the Good Friday Agreement. Such tripe as the comment above falls easily from the ignorant mouths of those who hide behind anonymity. Shame on you.
A wall around you would get mine.
Well done. You’ve just proved the theory that there’s always one idiot. Thankfully most of us seem to have sense which is why players want to play for the ROI team. Great fans make a team what it is.
Ulster has three counties in ROI….well done. Idiot.
PS my irish passport says different.
Go f@~#k yourself kingstown!!!
…and how Irish are you?? are you denying me my right to be Irish?? “a wall round your mouth” would get my vote from a PROUD IRISH Derry man. The cheek of you calling me a scottish settler. My grandfather lived through partition so in 1920 do you think he suddenly put on a kilt and started eating haggis(pardon my stereotype if any scottish people are reading this). And by the way have you ever been up north? we are not all bigoted, racist fascists!!! d-head!!!
The big losers are the genuine Northern Irish supporters who would love to see James play for them. Education is the only way forward and initiatives like the Setanta Cup will show the way forward.
Im from N.Ireland but follow ROI and a Derry City . I have been to the old landsdowne but never been to Windsor Park not really out of political reasons just the atmosphere wouldn’t suit me. I wouldn’t feel at home or comfortable sitting in Windsor Park. Nothing would please me more to have an all Ireland team and league . The setanta cup is great idea and it is improving relations but there is still a lot of sectarian tension. I think the IFA/FAI really need to sort this out in 2012. I think if NI football team needs to clean up its appearance and make it more accessible to all communities. It hasn’t really moved with the times. NI team is struggling in comparison with ROI so it is maybe in there best interest!
James McClean nutmegs his marker. Plays a neat one-two with Chris Brunt. McClean passes infield to James McCarthy. McClean gets it back. McClean goes on a powerful run up the wing. A deep cross to the back post. Headed down by Lafferty for the on rushing Long who drives an unstoppable volley into the net. Ireland win the European Championship 2016. The island of Ireland rejoices in this remarkable achievement, only a year after agreeing to field a team comprising players from north and south. Why not?????
Because Lafferty is shite.
i agree with steve. the ifa and supporters have done a lot to tackle sectarianism ever since the neil lennon incident. they do have a genuine grievance about player defection. the fai and ifa should come to an agreement
he’s more than welcome to play for us northern Ireland poo at soccer anyways.now if only mcllroy will get off the fence and put on the green jersey as well