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James McClean’s Instagram story causes a stir amid his frosty relationship with Ian Evatt

James McClean’s Instagram story this week causes a stir amid his frosty relationship with current Bolton Wanderers manager Ian Evatt.

On Monday the 4th of August, the Wrexham player, who is currently on international duty, uploaded a post to his Instagram story.

In it, there were two shots of him training from the Republic of Ireland ahead of their upcoming games against France and the Netherlands on Thursday and Sunday.

But it was what he wrote that has got people talking on social media. McClean captioned his Instagram post: “just for you baby, just for you” 😅… if ya know ya know 😂”

Then added: “Back with the lads 🇮🇪”

McClean and Evatt have endured an unfriendly relationship in the last few years, putting that into the public eye for all to see.

In 2021, Evatt claimed that Bolton were ‘never interested’ in James McClean after the then-Wigan winger claimed the Wanderers had shown interest in him.

Prior to his move from Stoke to Wigan, reports claimed that the Trotters might be interested, but then McClean suggested that could have been the case.

He told Wigan Today: “I know Bolton were interested but having been here before as a Wigan player, there was never, ever any chance I was going to entertain that.

“I’ll be completely honest, the only reason I entertained coming to League One was solely for Wigan.”

“League One wasn’t something that interested me but I said to my agent from day one – when I found out Wigan were interested – I’d rather go to Wigan, a club that means a lot to me, than a club lower in the Championship.

“The Bolton one, for a lot of reasons, wasn’t something I was going to take interest in.”

Evatt responded, by saying: “I’ve heard them. I find it very amusing. If that’s the case then I think he needs to communicate with his agent, because he didn’t stop ringing me for three weeks after I told him no as well.

“That’s the nature of the beast. It is what it is. We’ve read them, we’ve smiled and laughed at them, and as I said, maybe the communication with his agent after I told his agent no, he carried on ringing, so obviously Bolton’s not all bad to play.

“We were never interested in James McClean. It was his agent trying to get him to us and whether they’ve used us to try and get a better deal out of Wigan, I don’t know.

“That’s sometimes the case, but to come out and make a statement like that, it’s false. It’s just completely false.

“His agent was ringing my phone off the hook.”

After Wigan won promotion to the Championship in 2022, McClean took to troll Evatt.

Posting a picture of himself and Evatt having words, there were 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.

At the end of that season, Bolton finished 9th and Wigan topped the League One table, 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.’

“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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Another moment saw Evatt left angry on an incident which saw McClean avoid being carded.

After the game in April 2022 saw Evatt claimed that the Latics should have been reduced to 10 men, feeling that McClean should have been handed a second yellow card for a foul on Dapo Afolayan just before the break, having given his team the lead in the 7th minute.

Bolton managed to get a leveller with full time approaching thanks to Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, but even though Evatt was happy with the way his side got back in the game after going one down, he felt they should have had a man advantage in the second half.

“I don’t see how it isn’t a yellow card,” he said about McClean’s challenge. “The whole stadium knew it, Dapo got there first and played the ball around James, and Dapo was going in towards goal. The linesman said the ball went out of play but it only did after three or four bounces and Dapo not running after it because he had been brought to the floor.

“It was a really disappointing decision because that really does put things in our favour but massive credit to our lads, we wrestled back the impetus after that first half an hour and we were outstanding.”

Evatt confronted the referee, Samuel Barrott, following the full time whistle, questioning why a second yellow card was handed out.

“His opinion was that it wasn’t his fault – that was the information he got from the linesman,” he added. “But the information was wrong. Everyone knew it was a yellow, and that’s that.”

This is what fans are saying as James McClean’s Instagram story causes a stir amid his frosty relationship with Ian Evatt…

@andybroomeBWFC: Great to see Ian Evatt still firmly etched in the mind of James McClean. Never known a player handle rejection so poorly. It’s a shame he and his agent couldn’t convince Evatt to take a look, we’d have been the highlight of his career. Hope he has a lovely time in League 2! #bwfc

@lissa054: It’s worrying how obsessed James McLean is with Ian evatt 🥴

@CiaranBWFC2002: When are folk going to actually realise he’s completely obsessed with Evatt? It’s not even anything to do with Wigan anymore 😂😭😂😭

@Jarvo297: hahahahaha i miss him so much ffs

@faz42: Hahahaha go on mcclean #wafc

@WAFCRob: I aspire to hate someone as much as James McClean hates Ian Evatt 🤣

@Sam_f_Heaton: What a man

@morganarkie: I’m done hahahahaha. I love even him more as time goes on😂 #wafc

@danhurst23: My shithouse doing what he does best 😍 fucking love you Jimmy #wafc

@jsylatic: What a man 😂😂

@SpainWigan: Jimmy Mac 🐐

@JS121198: God bless James McClean

@AndyJMozza: Wonderful to see that Ian Evatt still lives rent free in league 2 James McClean’s head

@Hehehehesiii: oh James mcclean 😂😂😂😂😂 #wafc

@CallanRowland: If this man doesn’t get a latics testimonial

@KTics90: James McClean actually hates Ian evatt doesn’t he hahahahahaaha. Some Insta post that

@Wall_Ant_11899: 😄😄 fucking love that lad

@JackRourke15: Hahahahahahahahah fuck me

@WAFCFAN2013: Love this man hahaha #wafc

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