Wrexham midfielder James McClean has become a public enemy in the eyes of many England football fans for his controversial takes in 2024.
The Republic of Ireland international infuriated many supporters earlier this summer when he branded Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice as ‘overrated’ and claimed that ‘For a £100 million player I want to see more than just five-yard sideways and backwards passes.’
Not only that, but McClean’s clear digs at the England national team during Euro 2024 clearly showed that he did not like them.
He slammed the Three Lions for being overhyped and even stated that ‘For a country that’s won one World Cup and have never won the Euros, they’re very expectant and very arrogant about their chances,’ during his punditry work for RTE.
He even wore the Spain jersey ahead of their win over England in the Euro 2024 final.
What Tattoo Did McClean Show To Birmingham City Fans?
McClean’s comments have not gone down well with English fans and made him a highly disliked character all over England. Which is why it’s not exactly surprising that the midfielder gets heavily booed and mocked by opposition fans in Wrexham’s travels to face different English teams in their 2024/25 League One campaign.
The midfielder was at the receiving end of some particularly scornful hatred from Birmingham City fans in Wrexham’s recent 3-1 loss to them.
Some of the Birmingham fans gave him stick all game long, booing him loudly and decided to give him a choice pair of words when McClean was substituted in the second half.
As McClean was making his way to the dugout by walking through the sidelines, a lot of fans started hurling abuses at him.
To his credit, the Irish midfielder dealt with the bullying fans in a really cheeky fashion. Rather than arguing with him, he just rolled up his shorts a little bit to show the Tattoo on the upper part of his left thigh.
Some fans watching on TV were left wondering exactly what McClean showed the Birmingham fans to infuriate them even further and that has now been revealed.
It turns out that the 35-year-old midfielder showed off a Tattoo of a famous mural from Derry (Ireland) where the words ‘You are now entering Free Derry’ can be seen written in bold.
Moreover, a Republic of Ireland flag is placed right on top of the mural – to signify that the place is a part of Ireland!
McClean’s cheeky antics appeared to have riled up the Birmingham City fans even more, with someone even throwing a can of beer at him which he caught.
This could be because his tattoo might be a bit triggering for the British people who love the Monarch and have an intense hatred for the Irish.
What Significance Does McClean’s Tattoo Hold?
The Wrexham’s midfielder’s tattoo is a call-back to the popular Mural that originated in Derry, Ireland.
McClean was actually born in Derry in 1989, spending his youth career playing in the city and even making his professional debut for Institute FC.
His major breakthrough came for Derry City FC too. But his tattoo is in reference to something that happened well before he was born.
In 1969, a local political activist named Liam Hillen painted at mural in a wall of a housing terrace that wrote ‘You are now entering Free Derry’.
This was part of the Bogside neighborhood of Derry, that was known as the ‘Free Derry Corner’ and considered an autonomous nationalist area from 1969 to 1972.
This phrase was a defiant act by activists in Northern Ireland and a way of saying that the people would not be controlled by the security forces deployed by the English monarch.
It is considered as a symbol of the civil rights movement in Northern Ireland and the fight against oppression.
In McClean’s context, showing off this tattoo to the English fans was like his act of defiance and showing off about how Ireland is free from the England’ forces oppression.
The 35-year-old midfielder clearly doesn’t like England, but seems to be very open and nonchalant about it – making him one of the feistiest characters in English football.