Controversial Irish star James McClean says he will not apologize for greeting Wrexham fans who sang an anti-King Charles III song.
Fans of the Welsh club from Hollywood sang for McClean after a 6-0 thrashing of Forest Green Rovers earned them promotion to League One on Saturday.
One line from the song was ‘he hates the f***ing King’, referring to the Irish winger’s much-discussed Republican stance, with a clip on social media showing McClean urging the crowd to carry on.
It came just a few weeks after Prince William visited Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground to meet staff and players, and hear how the club has risen since being taken over by Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds.
King Charles met the Hollywood duo during his own visit to Wrexham in December 2022, while Prince William met McElhenney, manager Phil Parkinson, plus players Ben Tozer and Luke Young on St David’s Day last month.
Controversial Irish star James McClean greeted Wrexham fans as he sang an anti-King song
McClean doubled down in an Instagram post, saying he was “singing along at the top of his lungs”
McClean celebrated with the Wrexham fans after they earned promotion this weekend
Prince William received a personalized Wrexham shirt last month from Ben Tozer (left), Wrexham co-chairman Rob McElhenney (middle right) and club captain Luke Young (right)
Wrexham co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney welcomed King Charles in 2022
Your browser does not support iframes.
In an Instagram post, McClean shared a screenshot of Tuesday’s MailOnline story and wrote: ‘Is this correct? Absolutely and I also sang along with all my heart.’
The 34-year-old added: ‘Should I apologize for this? Absolutely not.’
The Prince of Wales also poured a pint and had a whiskey with McElhenney at The Turf pub next to Wrexham’s ground.
Reynolds was in New York last month editing the next Deadpool film during Prince William’s visit, but MailOnline understands he hopes to meet the second in line to the throne later this year.
Speaking in Wrexham, William said: ‘It’s a great success story that you’re building here, everything you’ve started and achieved is fantastic, so onwards and upwards – it’s exciting.
‘And anyone who is a real football fan wants you to do well.’
As the third oldest football club in the world, Wrexham’s story has captivated a new generation of viewers from around the world thanks to McElhenney and Reynolds, and the showcase of their ownership in the hit Disney+ documentary Welcome To Wrexham.
In the first episode of the show’s second season, The King delighted royal fans by making a subtle joke about It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia to McElhenney.
Charles and Camilla met club owners and actors Ryan Reynolds and McElhenney during a Wrexham stadium tour in December 2022, which aired the following September.
Prince William spoke to Wrexham AFC manager Phil Parkinson during his visit in March
Wrexham secured promotion to League One after a resounding 6-0 win over Forest Green
Delighted fans ignored a warning from the club and stormed the field after the match
McClean has proven to be a divisive figure in British football, and his stance against the Royals is just one of many things that have sparked debate.
While playing for Wigan Athletic, McClean called out the English FA for their failure to tackle anti-Irish abuses in the match following an incident in Blackpool.
The FA previously investigated fans who sang anti-Pope and anti-IRA songs towards McClean on a number of occasions.
In September 2023, McClean admitted he regretted posting a controversial photo of himself ‘jokingly’ homeschooling in a balaclava, which was interpreted as a reference to the IRA.
For the post, which was subsequently deleted, McClean was fined two weeks’ wages by Stoke City, his then club, in March 2020.
McClean came under fire for turning his back while the national anthem played before a friendly against West Brom in 2015.
The player has stated that this is due to his affinity with Derry and the British Army’s role in the Troubles and Bloody Sunday.
McClean’s stance against the royal family is just one of many controversies surrounding him
McElhenney and Reynolds stood alongside Queen Camilla and the King during the 2022 visit
The Hollywood couple celebrated back-to-back promotions after purchasing the club in 2020
He has also been criticized for refusing to wear a poppy during matches played over Remembrance weekend, a personal decision he made in 2012 but a stance that saw him booed for it a decade later.
He refuses to wear the poppy because the symbol commemorates military personnel who died in the war – and not just soldiers who died in the First and Second World Wars.
The winger, who has 103 caps for the Republic of Ireland, left Wigan Athletic for Wrexham in August 2023, where he has scored three goals for his new club this season.
Earlier this month, a Wrexham fan was banned from attending football matches for three years after making racist comments towards Tranmere supporters.
Daniel Thomas Monk, 21, admitted a racially aggravated public order offense at Wrexham Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday after assaulting ‘dirty Scouse b*****ds’ and ‘dirty English b*****ds’ shouted in the direction of a group of Tranmere fans being escorted into the stadium.