McClean was sent death threats on social media, and regularly faces abuse for “being Irish”
The FAI and the Professional Footballers Association have come out in support of James McClean after the Stoke City footballer opened up about the abuse he receives on social media.
Earlier this week McClean shared a screenshot of one particular message he had received, which read: “Don’t make me set your house on fire and burn everyone inside it.”
His wife Erin also opened up on the abuse that the family receives, stating that it happens on a daily basis at this point and had become “constant” over a nine-year period.
She wrote: “There isn’t a day that goes by that either one of us don’t receive a message of some sort, whether it be a threat, or else telling us to get the f*ck out of England. And to be honest, it’s gotten to the point now where it doesn’t affect us one bit, and hasn’t for a long time.
“However, we have three very young children who are now at an age where they know and understand these things being said.
“We can take the name-calling and the rest but what we cannot accept is threatening our family home and our children’s lives.
”They don’t deserve this.
”Why, after nine years of constant abuse, should we be OK and have to accept receiving these threats constantly?”
Since sharing the instances of abuse, the FAI and the PFA have come out in support for the Irish international.
The FAI said that it “has reached out to James in light of this most recent incident and assured him that the FAI will assist him in any way it can”, while the PFA condemned any abuse towards players “based on their race, religion or nationality”.
They added: “We stand with all players against discrimination.”
Ireland teammates Darren Randolph and David Meyler also came out in support on social media.
https://twitter.com/DavidMeyler/status/1361291504833150976?s=20
