Former Derry City winger James McClean was dropped by Wigan Athletic for their Sky Bet Championship game against Yeovil Town this afternoon for not wearing a Remembrance Poppy.

It is not the first time the Creggan man has refused to wear the emblem. The Republic of Ireland international received death threats and a storm of criticism when he refused to wear the poppy while playing for Sunderland last year.

On that occasion he wore a normal shirt for the game against Everton in the lead-up to Remembrance Sunday, rather than one embroidered with a poppy.

At the time, McClean auctioned his own poppy-less shirt for a children’s charity and he insisted he would do the same again.

“People have their own opinions,'” he said. “They have their beliefs and I have mine. I don’t regret it, come next year I’m going to do the same thing.”

He was supported at the time by his club and international team-mate John O’Shea, who said the whole team were behind his decision.

Speaking earlier this year, he said: “I got a lot of flak from everybody,” McClean added, “but I’ll say it again, it doesn’t bother me. Every year I’m not going to wear it, so I’ll take whatever comes.”

JAMES MCCLEAN DROPPED BY WIGAN FOR NOT WEARING POPPY was last modified: by

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