Wrexham star James McClean is a player who's never too far from the headlines. The former Republic of Ireland international's career has been plagued by controversy due to his decision not to wear a poppy on his shirt around Remembrance Sunday. The 35-year-old's current campaign with Hollywood-owned Wrexham has been no different, with a number of incidents placing him firmly under the spotlight.
McClean was criticised in November for standing apart from his team-mates during a minute's silence ahead of Remembrance Day. The ex-Sunderland man was also involved in a car crash the day before one of Wrexham's biggest games of the season against Birmingham City but staged a miraculous recovery in time to start for the Red Dragons on Thursday night.
Here, Mirror Football looks at some of the most memorable moments the Irishman has been involved in this term. It was a familiar tale in November as McClean made headlines after standing away from his team-mates during the minute's silence ahead of their 1-0 win over Mansfield Town. Unlike other players, McClean's shirt did not feature a poppy, symbolising Remembrance Sunday.
It's a stance the player has had to address repeatedly during his career. McClean grew up on Derry's Creggan estate, the birthplace of many of the 14 people killed in the 1972 Bloody Sunday massacre when British soldiers killed unarmed civilians during a protest.
