McClean decision not to wear remembrance poppy ‘personal choice’

Sunderland have confirmed that James McClean’s decision not to wear a Remembrance Day poppy on his shirt was a personal one. The shirt is now due to be sold for charity.

McClean and his Ireland international colleague John O’Shea did not wear the same shirt as their team-mates during Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Everton. League players were asked to wear shirts embroidered with poppies over the weekend in order to pay tribute to servicemen lost in wars.

The 23-year-old winger’s decision sparked a flurry of criticism and support, with club officials forced to issue a statement on the matter yesterday, without reference to O’Shea’s stance. A statement said: “As a club, SAFC wholeheartedly supports the Remembrance commemorations. It was James’s personal choice not to wear a shirt on this occasion.”