James McClean had a near-immediate response to Graeme Souness after the Scottish pundit suggested that James McClean needs to 'get on with it' with regard to the abuse the Irishman receives.
Since he began playing football in England, McClean has without fail refused to wear the poppy on his shirt during the UK's month of remembrance each November. Because of this stance, McClean has faced criticism from some aspects of the media and has also received plenty of abuse from fans in stadiums and online.
Repeatedly, McClean has taken to social media to ask for more to be done about the abuse that he receives each year. The Wigan winger has also pointed out numerous occasions where members of his family have suffered abuse.
In a conversation on TalkSport, former Liverpool and Rangers player Graeme Souness gave his thoughts on the McClean situation.
"We live in a democracy. If he’s being booed at a football game, or things are being sung about him, that’s not nice.
"It’s not nice for his wife or his kid, it is totally wrong that him and his family are being threatened. That’s abhorrent. But it will just be keyboard warriors and village idiots.
"But you also have to understand that 10,000 Irish soldiers lost their lives in the Second World War – and I think it’s right we remember them.
"You know what side of the fence I’m on," Souness carried on, "I managed a Protestant institution in Glasgow Rangers and we were royalists.
"Going back a month, there was a small element at several football grounds up and down the country that rejoiced in the death of our Queen. That’s unacceptable.
"There is nothing the FA can do about that, but that happened. So James has to get on with it. It is very much his right to choose to go down that road, but I’m afraid this will not go away for him.
"It will be an annual thing he has to take on the chin because he has chosen to go down that road."
Evidently, McClean got wind of what Souness was saying because, while still on the air, the Derry man managed to get presenter Jim White to relay a message to the Sky Sports pundit.
"Jim," begins McClean's message which was read out by White on air, "can you tell Mr. Souness with regards to his ‘get on with it’ advice – I got on with it for a very long time until it became not just me but my family.
"It is one thing taking abuse, but when your family gets involved, it means a totally different thing. I would suggest if he’s not in a position to talk about it as I am, then he doesn’t appreciate the level of abuse I have to endure."
After hearing McClean's message, Souness responded saying, "I accept that. Once it impacts on your family, it must be very difficult.
"But this is something he has to deal with. This was his choice. Maybe he should go back to when he first made this stance, maybe someone said, 'This will not just be about you, going forward'. And that is the case."
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