James McClean breaks silence after refusing to 'bend the knee' and wear poppy

James McClean says he will never "bend the knee" and go back on his decision not to wear a poppy around Remembrance Sunday.

The former Stoke City winger made headlines on Saturday after standing away from his Wrexham team-mates during the minute's silence ahead of their 1-0 win over Mansfield Town. Unlike his team-mates, McClean's shirt did not feature a poppy, which is the symbol of Remembrance Sunday.

The 35-year-old ex-Republic of Ireland international 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.

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After playing for Northern Ireland's under-21s side, McClean switched allegiances to the Republic of Ireland and has refused to take part in remembrance traditions since 2012 after moving to England to play for Sunderland.

He posted on Instagram: "I have addressed this matter many times, not that I should have to, but explaining it now on social media out of respect for work colleagues, team mates past and present, fans who have supported me (Wigan, Wrexham especially) for them to have a full understanding.

"The poppy represents for me an entirely different meaning to what it does for others. Am I offended by someone wearing a poppy? No absolutely not, what does offend me though, is having the poppy try be forced upon me.

"The poppy which originally stood for World War 1 and 2 has now been adopted into honouring and remembering British soldiers that have served in all conflicts throughout the world including those who opened fire and murdered 14 innocent civilians on bloody Sunday Jan 1972, in my home city, as well many other brutal crimes throughout Ireland.

"That is why I never have and never will wear a poppy. If the poppy's sole purpose was to honour world war 1 and 2 then I would have no issue wearing it, but that's not the case.

"I respect those who do as I am fully aware we have different beliefs and upbringings, I would never force my beliefs on others, I'm not naive or stupid enough to expect the matter to be reciprocated, especially as the poppy is forced now on everyone in the UK and god forbid someone doesn't wear it, the abuse they have to endure. The irony of all of this is that the poppy originally stood to honour those who fought for the right of freedom in both world wars.

"Some people, no matter what, will not educate themselves or want to educate themselves, so to those who throw abuse about, (matters they know nothing about) with insults like 'hates our country' well I don't, some of my best relationships I've made through the years are with people born and raised in England and have completely different beliefs to me.

"'Happy to work and live in the uk but take the king's shilling, send him back to his home town to work then'. Well, the sad matter of fact is if i did I would still [be] getting paid in the 'king's shillings' unfortunately which part of the whole problem to begin with.

"One thing I never have and never will do, is bend the knee to compromise my convictions." McClean's wife Erin tweeted: "I don't know about the rest of you... but this is just boring now. 12 years on you'd think it'd be old news."