Wrexham midfielder James McClean confirmed he joined in singing an anti-monarchy chant during the club’s promotion celebrations last weekend.
Wrexham secured automatic promotion to League One — English football’s third tier — with an emphatic 6-0 victory over Forest Green. After the match, the former Republic of Ireland international McClean joined the club’s supporters in a chant, which includes a lyric saying he “hates the King,” referring to the British monarchy.
In a post on Instagram, McClean responded to a newspaper report of the incident, saying: “Is this correct? Absolutely and I also sang at the top of my lungs. Do I make any apologies for doing so? Absolutely not.”
McClean, 34, has been a crucial player at Wrexham since joining last summer, making 42 appearances for the club and leading the side in assists (10).
He has been criticised in the past for his refusal to wear a Remembrance Day poppy on his shirt. He is from Derry, where British soldiers shot and killed 14 Irish protesters in 1972, an incident known as Bloody Sunday.
Last month, Prince William visited Wrexham and poured beers alongside co-owner Rob McElhenney in the club’s infamous Turf pub to mark St. David’s Day.
