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Stoke player responds to troll who posted ‘hope he dies’ after catching coronavirus

Stoke City player James McClean responds to a social media troll who posted ‘hope he dies’ after catching the coronavirus.

The Republic of Ireland international tested positive for COVID-19 along with team-mate Matt Doherty following Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Wales.

Now via his Instagram story, he has hit back at ‘mutants’ who posted ‘hope he f***ing dies’ after catching COVID-19 last week.

James McClean has hit back at a troll who abused him about catching coronavirus

The 31 year old winger who has scored twice in seven appearance this season so far, has taken to social media, highlighting various pieces of abuse that he has since received recently.

The Stoke midfielder posted an image showing a Twitter user writing: “McClean has got corona, I hope he f***ing dies.”

In reply, McClean took a photo of himself working out in his Ireland kit with the caption: “Sorry to disappoint ya mutants but… am more than fine.”

McClean has now been forced to self-isolate for ten days before then returning two negative tests so that he can begin training again.

He couldn’t play a part of Ireland’s game with Bulgaria and is also ruled out of Stoke’s Championship fixtures with Huddersfield Town and Norwich City.

McClean has often attracted unwanted attention on and off the field, and now he claims that he has received more criticism than any player after refusing to wear a poppy on his shirt.

The 31-year-old Republic of Ireland winger refuses to wear the poppy because he is from Derry, the place where British soldiers shot unarmed civilians during a peaceful protest march in 1972.

McClean has said he would wear the poppy if it was just to honour those who lost their lives in the World Wars, as well as insisting his stance is not political and rather one of peace.

However, it’s almost every game where fans have been allowed in stadiums that he plays and gets booed by opposition fans and has even faced death threats and a torrent of abuse from those in the stands and on social media.

He received criticism from Middlesbrough fans in 2018, which after the game led him to say on Instagram: “They have nothing in their whole imperial arsenal that can break the spirit of one Irishman who doesn’t want to be broken.” Your abuse, your throwing things, your booing, do your worst.. to the home fans that are actually educated and support me, thank yous.. to the section of uneducated cavemen in left hand corner of the boothen end stand that want to song their anti irish song each game and call me a fenian this and that.. i am a PROUD FENIAN no c@#t will ever change that, so sing away”.

McClean has also been subjected to disgusting sectarian abuse this year.

A section of Huddersfield supporters directed IRA chants at him at the John Smith Stadium in January.

It came after the Football Association opened an investigation into abuse aimed at him while playing Barnsley earlier in the 2019/20 campaign.

McClean has been at Stoke since 2018 and has scored 12 goals in 92 games for them.

He also had spells for the likes of Sunderland, Wigan and West Brom earlier in his career which started in 2007 with Northern Irish semi-professional association football club Institute.

McClean says the “horrendous” abuse was correctly condemned, he went on to discuss the public response to the abuse he regularly receives.

Mediavine

“Driving back from training today while listening to talkSport discussing the vile racist comments this weekend made towards Zaha and McGoldrick on social media, listening to their reaction of disgust at it and rightly so for that matter because it is horrendous and nobody should be subjected to that and people need to be held responsible for their words and actions.

“What leaves a sour taste tho [sic] in my mouth and not only this but with everything else of late, I receive have received more abuse than [any] other player during my 9 years in England wether [sic] that be, death threats, bullets sent in the post, birthday cards, letters etc! This is not a cry for sympathy but one to ask the question what is the difference?

“12-year-old boys get arrested for posting racial abuse online to Zaha again rightly so, has anyone ever been held accountable for mines? No!

“Have I ever had any abuse condemned by the media? (Sky Sports, talkSport, newspapers) No! In fact quite the opposite, the slightest thing that I do that might cause offence to any one is highlighted by them.

“I have seen some of my fellow Irish team mates post a black square in support of anti racism as well as post condemning the discrimination and AGAIN rightly so!

“Have I ever seen any of them ever post a public condemnation of the discrimination I get which funnily enough is a discrimination against them also? That would be a no!

“Does one kind of discrimination hold a higher bearing over another act of discrimination?

“I would say am confused but that’s the wrong word because confused means not fully understanding something, in this case it’s quite clear!

“If you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything.”

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