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James McClean trolls Bolton manager Ian Evatt on Instagram after Wigan win promotion

James McClean trolls Bolton manager Ian Evatt on Instagram after Wigan Athletic win promotion to the Championship on Saturday.

McClean played 68 minutes as the Latics stormed to a 3-0 to Shrewsbury Town, securing the League One title and a place in the second tier.

The Republic of Ireland international played a key role in that success, making 34 appearances throughout the campaign, scored nine times, and got himself into the League One team of the season at the age of 33.

While he will no doubt enjoy the success with his fellow teammates and staff, James McClean being James McClean meant he found time to make a dig at Bolton via Instagram and this time it’s Evatt who was his target.

Evatt and McClean have history after the winger was previously linked with joining Bolton earlier in the season but instead stated that he wouldn’t be going there, due to the rivalry between the club and Wigan, with whom James McClean had previously played for two seasons.

“If that is the case then he needs to communicate with his agent, because he didn’t stop ringing me for three weeks after I’d told him no,” Evatt hit back at the time and it’s clearly an episode that McClean hasn’t forgotten.

He went on his Instagram Stories with McClean posting a picture of himself and Evatt having words, and there are speech bubbles over the Bolton boss saying ‘but, but we are the best team in the league,’ in reference to another quote by the manager earlier in the season.

Now that Bolton have finished 9th and Wigan have finished top, McClean obviously thought it was a good time to strike, with his own speech bubble in the mocked-up image reading: ‘that was fun. Shame we can’t do it again next year.’

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“This has been the toughest League One I can remember…probably ever,” James McClean said after the game.

“For us to come out on top with 92 points is absolutely unbelievable.

“People in this league claimed to be the best team in the league, but they’re only opinions.

“Actions speak louder than words, we finished top, and that means we’re the best team in the league.

“I’m probably adding fuel to the fire, but the proof is in the pudding, we’re the ones with the trophy.

“That’s just me rubbing it in, and I’m absolutely delighted to do that.

“People can talk, but we backed it up.

“Facts are facts, and here we are.”

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In October 2021, Bolton Wanderers boss Ian Evatt believed his side were the best in League One despite sitting 8th in the table at the time and were two points outside the playoffs.

Speaking after their game against Sheffield Wednesday last time out, he said, as per a report by The Bolton News:

“I expect us to be number one. I expect us to be first. 

“I think we’re the best team in the league. People will say that’s arrogance, that’s overconfidence, but on performances I believe we’re the best team in the league. We should have won all those games.”

Bolton finished the season in 9th place, 10 points from the playoffs places, ending the season with a 4-2 win against Fleetwood Town.

One talking point saw Dion Charles score from 45 yards with a slide tackle which ended up lofting over goalkeeper Alex Cairns and into the back of the net to give Wanderers the lead for the second time in the game.

Ian Evatt said: “I haven’t seen a goal like that before but it is Dion in a nutshell, really. Fantastic, clinical finish for the first goal and the second one just being a pest, hard work, closing down and being aggressive.

“He has deserved it. He has been through some tough times and missed some chances, had some bad luck along the way but here he made his own luck – if he isn’t there to press then the goal doesn’t happen. He deserved the praise.

“The fans have now got their favourites and we missed that so much last season with having no supporters in.

“It is great for him. I think he has scored 13 in 17 starts, which is exceptional, but he like all the others know we need more next season, so it’s back to the hard work.”

Wigan boss Leam Richardson summed up his emotions after his side won the League One title following an excellent 2021/22 campaign.

“It doesn’t come without the fans spending, not the money, but the time to travel up and down the country, journeys back from Portsmouth. However hard that they are, this makes them all worthwhile.

“We started with three players, with no staff, with no recruitment. We’ve been through all that but to come together so quickly has been complimentary to the group of people and the professionals that they are.

“I’ve been fortunate at most clubs I’ve worked at to achieve something and you’ve got to give your experience into them as well. Football is made up of small inches and small margins. And if you work tirelessly every day, you’ll get those small margins and when you need to get over the line this means so much for the supporters.”

On what it felt like to achieve his first promotion in management, Richardson added: “My first thoughts are about the support I get from my family, the support that I get from my staff and the players. It’s very humbling.

“There’s a lot that has gone on this year, there have been a lot of challenges that we’ve had to strive for, make those steps forward, and overcome. But when you’re supported like I am with my personal network, my staff and the players, it certainly makes it a lot easier.”

On Championship planning, he continued: “I think we started a couple of weeks ago, silently. You’ve got to be ready because we know the challenges that are ahead of us to take this football club back where we belong. It’s going to be a lot of hard work!”

Twitter users had their say as James McClean trolls Bolton manager Ian Evatt on Instagram after Wigan win promotion…

@WafcBilly: By far my favourite Irishman love the bones of our Jimmy mac so happy to see him back in the squad today we have missed him massively

@paulredhead1: The way he handles himself given the abuse he gets is incredible. Whether we agree with him or not nobody deserves that.

@ticsgalore: As if we couldn’t love this man more, tic through and through 💙

@nathjnzy: won the league today n Ian Evatt still lives rent free in James McClean’s head hahahaha

@RVoicing: Football needs more of this sort of behaviour

@liamgraz58_o: Mad Evatt must really have pissed him off 😂

@_WezXL_: Signing of the season. James McClean. Today showed why we signed him. #wafc

@LukeHampson14: McClean 🤝 owning Bolton #wafc #bwfc

@a_wanderas: What a cringey little fucker he is. It’s literally like getting one over on your ex after they’ve dumped you.

@Wil1J: Imagine winning the league and all you can think about is your rivals gaffer, then go to the trouble of doing that🤣 #bwfc

@jamesduffy2: James mcclean, I fucking love him

@htownhero_: Mad because Evatt would kick shit out of him given a chance

@abbigreensitt: James mcclean ig story is very strange, Evatt lives rent free in his head

@ChrisWilding_: I love James McClean

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