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Fans of Wrexham became better acquainted with James McClean when the Irish footballer joined the Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney revolution at the Racecourse Ground in 2023.
It didn't take the Republic of Ireland centurion long to endear himself to supporters of the North Wales club, thanks to a number of big performances alongside his generally combative and competitive nature.
What some fans, particularly the new and growing overseas contingent of Wrexham supporters, may not have been aware of is the level of abuse that McClean regularly receives from opposition fans and it can be particularly intense in November, when he eschews the wearing of a poppy on his jersey.
Here, GOAL explains why he chooses not to wear the poppy and the background of the now annual controversy.
Why does James McClean not wear a poppy?
James McClean does not wear a remembrance poppy because he feels it would be a mark of disrespect to innocent people who lost their lives during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, particularly those from his hometown of Derry, where the 1972 Bloody Sunday massacre occurred.
McClean has consistently refused to wear the poppy during his football career in the United Kingdom, which started in 2011 when he joined then-Premier League side Sunderland. His decision to not wear the poppy has seen him receive abuse from the terraces and threats online, as well as prompting a wider debate around the topic.
In 2014, when playing for Wigan Athletic, McClean published a letter to the club chairman Dave Whelan outlining his reasons for not wearing the flower, explaining that, if the symbol was exclusively for the victims of World War I and World War II, he would wear it.
After joining West Brom the following year, he explained his position to supporters by writing in a pre-match programme: "People say I am being disrespectful [for not wearing the poppy] but don’t ask why I choose not to wear it.
"If the poppy was simply about World War One and Two victims alone, I’d wear it without a problem. I would wear it every day of the year if that was the thing but it doesn’t. It stands for all the conflicts that Britain has been involved in. Because of the history where I come from in Derry, I cannot wear something that represents that."
In 2021, the Royal British Legion, which runs the Poppy Appeal, defended McClean's stance on the remembrance poppy, saying: "To insist that people wear a poppy would be contrary to everything that it stands for. We offer our full support to James for exercising his right to choose not to wear a poppy."
Why do football clubs in Britain wear a poppy?
Football clubs across the UK wear the remembrance poppy every year in late October, early November to support the Poppy Appeal, which aims to raise money for the Royal British Legion.
The poppy itself serves as a symbol of remembrance for many people in the UK and is worn in the lead up to Remembrance Day, a memorial day for members of the armed forces who died in conflict, which is observed on November 11.
Teams typically wear the poppy on their jerseys (or on armbands) in the week before and weekend of Remembrance Day, with jerseys then being auctioned off to raise money for the Royal British Legion.
As well as wearing the symbol on the team's kit, managers often wear poppy badges on their outfits, wreath presentations are held and minute's silences are observed.
What is the Royal British Legion?
The Royal British Legion is a British Armed Forces charity which aims to support members of the Royal Navy, the British Army, the Royal Air Force, army veterans and their families.
It is the largest armed forces charity in the UK, with over 180,000 members and a network of volunteers supporting their initiatives.
The Royal British Legion provides services such as guidance counselling and rehabilitation support to serving members and veterans of the armed forces, as well as their families. Furthermore, the group campaigns in the interests of the Armed Forces community by liaising with politicians and public figures.