IN MANY PEOPLE’S eyes, there are two versions of James McClean.

There is the principled footballer who put his name to eloquent letters outlining his controversial stance on poppies, who is perfectly willing to provide support for his old GAA clubs and who shows up at fundraisers for Derry City.

He seems genuinely well liked by those around him. West Brom boss Tony Pulis routinely calls him a “fantastic” lad, while Martin O’Neill memorably described him recently a “great lunatic”.

On the other hand, while admired by many, McClean remains very much a divisive figure in the game. Despite what many people feel is a perfectly valid reason for going against the grain and not wearing a poppy during matches in the lead up to Remembrance Day, the issue has caused him plenty of strife, including death threats, in recent times.

The action led to him being booed by his own fans at Sunderland, prompting his exit from the club ultimately, while opposition fans continue to taunt him largely as a result of the notoriety acquired from this issue.

The regular stream of abuse is something that scarcely affects him, however.

“I’m not going to get into (the reasons) because they’ve been well publicised. But for me, (the abuse is) water off a duck’s back,” he tells The42.

I just don’t pay any attention to it. No one likes being booed, but I accept it, I’ve no problem with it. I just see it as motivation and basically that’s it.”

Over the years the player too has occasionally been his own worst enemy, with ill-advised tweets and a tendency to let his emotions get the better of him serving to add fuel to critics’ fire.

Yet McClean does seem like a genuinely decent person, a million miles away from the stereotypical arrogant modern footballer stereotype.

Last Christmas, he teamed up with former League of Ireland striker Vincent Sweeney to make a significant donation to a homeless charity in Derry that sought to help men and women dependent on alcohol. When he tries to ring The42 “five or six times” for the article, this reporter is unfortunately on an ill-timed alternative call. Other footballers would simply give up on the interview, but McClean generously offers to take a call in his hotel room later that evening.

And regardless of your opinion of the Irish international, there is no doubt he wears his heart on his sleeve.

One of the most memorable moments from Ireland’s Euro 2016 qualifying campaign was McClean’s substitute appearance in the home game against Poland. Ireland were 1-0 and performing poorly at the time before the winger’s second-half arrival.

As Martin O’Neill recently recalled of the game: “Remember that great time when he was stepping onto the pitch against, was it Poland? And even Roy (Keane) had said to him — Roy, of all people — be careful. And he said: ‘I am, I am, I will be, I will be, I will be.’ And then the Polish boy’s legs were over the stand.”

While the Polish player in question (Arkadiusz Milik) may not have been too impressed, the crunch tackle enlivened the home crowd, with McClean playing an influential role thereafter as Ireland secured what proved to be a vital equaliser.

But despite the Derry native seeming particularly fired up on that occasion, he plays down the incident when reflecting on it now.

“There was no difference between that and any other game,” he says. “I am a passionate player. I am a player that believes you should give 100% no matter what on the pitch.

I obviously wasn’t happy I wasn’t starting. Any game you come on, you want to make a difference. You want to show why you should be starting. That game was no different. It just happened to be a big night and I had the opportunity to put a tackle in.

“That game could have been anywhere at any given time. And it got the crowd going and might have helped give that edge to go on and get a result from the game.

I’m not dressing it up. I’m one of those people that believes it’s your job, to represent your country and you should give 100% no matter what.”

One person who seems to be able to get the very best out of the West Brom star is Martin O’Neill. The Ireland boss gave the then-largely-unknown winger his Premier League debut during his first match as Sunderland manager, while McClean has gone on to become a key player for the 64-year-old coach since he took over as Ireland boss.

“If a manager has the confidence to pick you each game, that’s a massive thing. When a player’s confident, he feels he can do anything.

(O’Neill has) been a great man manager. He knows how to deal with me. He has faith in me. He lets me go and play my game and he picks me.”

But unfortunately for McClean, despite making 20 appearances in all competitions this season, he has not been picked of late for West Brom, who currently find themselves in the relatively lofty position of eighth place in the Premier League.

It’s been frustrating on my part because the team’s been doing so well that I can’t get back in the (starting XI) at the minute, but that’s football.”

Yet overall, 2016 has been a “good year but not a perfect year” for McClean.

Speaking on the eve of his side’s match with Man United (they ultimately lost 2-0 and McClean was an unused sub), he dismisses the notion that the bigger teams are less enjoyable to play against despite attacking players such as the Derry native having to make do with limited opportunities in advanced positions and spending much of the game chasing the ball and keeping their defensive shape.

“It’s like boxers — if someone is the best, you’re going to want a shot at that,” he says.

And big games certainly haven’t been in short supply for McClean in 2016.

Republic of Ireland's (l-r) Shane Long, James McClean and Stephen Quinn celebrate after the final whistle during the Euro 2016, Group E match at the Stade Pierre Mauroy, Lille. Chris Radburn Chris Radburn

Having had to be content with substitute appearances at Euro 2016 against both Belgium and Sweden, Martin O’Neill finally placed faith in McClean by handing him a starting spot against Italy. The 27-year-old duly delivered as Ireland earned a famous 1-0 win to progress to the last-16 of the competition.

There was so much riding on the game,” he recalls. “England, Northern Ireland and Wales all qualified (for the last-16). We didn’t want to be the team that didn’t.

“That night, we went out and beat Italy in a manner like that. I thought we were by far and away the better team.

“Everyone played (well that night). Everything came off. We showed how much it meant — it was life or death.

To beat Italy and be a part of that — you see on the pitch afterwards, grown men were crying around you. For that to mean so much and for you to contribute to that, it’s a moment that will live with me for the rest of my life.

“Fingers cross, there’ll be a game that tops that (in future). But by far and away, that’s my greatest moment not just in an Irish strip but also on a football pitch.”

Their subsequent knockout match with France was similarly thrilling, even if the outcome wasn’t so spectacular. As O’Neill said afterwards: “I thought for a few glorious minutes that we could win the game today.”

France's Bacary Sagna (left) and France's Kingsley Coman (centre) and Republic of Ireland's James McClean (right) battle for the ball. Nick Potts Nick Potts

Despite the 2-1 loss, McClean emerged from the game with plenty of credit. His penetrating runs down the left caused the French plenty of problems — the Derry native was arguably Ireland’s biggest attacking threat on the day.

“I don’t think France were always going to win,” he says. “On the day there were a few factors that didn’t go our way and it wasn’t to be.

In the end, we were undone by a world-class player in (Antoine) Griezmann. He had two opportunities and he put them away, and that’s what sent us home.”

But if anything, that disappointment seems to have galvanised the Irish team.

They will start 2017 as table toppers in their World Cup qualifying group, having played and beaten all but one of their opponents in 2016. Despite some of their rivals possessing more talented individuals, like all Martin O’Neill’s best sides, their spirit and self belief has more than compensated for the team’s limitations in other aspects of the game.

“Without putting us under pressure, I think we’ve put ourselves in a position where we could qualify,” McClean says.

“The safe talk is to say ‘there’s a long way to go and take each game as it comes,’ but we’ve played almost every team and haven’t (been second best), so we’re in a strong position and I think we should believe we can qualify automatically for the World Cup in Russia. There are huge games ahead and there is a long way to go but we’re looking forward to the Wales game.”

There is no doubt that McClean is now a bonafide star, a personification of all the Irish side’s best attributes. It’s hard to single out a more popular member of the Boys in Green’s squad. Yet despite this growing fame, he remains very much the local lad who hasn’t forgotten where he came from.

“Derry’s my hometown. It’s a place I love very much and that I miss.

Derry is where I’m going to live when I finish in football as well, so in an ideal world, if I could go back and play for Derry, it would be special. It’s where I want to end my career. But in the real world, you never know what’s going to happen between now and then.

“But Derry and the League of Ireland gave me so much. It’s somewhere I have a lot of respect for. In an ideal world, that’s where I’ll end up.”

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