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08th May 2012

Euro 2012-bound James McClean sticks the boot in after Twitter abuse from Northern Ireland fans

Just hours after he was selected for Ireland's Euro 2012 squad, Sunderland winger James McClean celebrated by taking the opportunity to have a swipe against his online detractors.

JOE

Just hours after he was selected for Ireland’s Euro 2012 squad, Sunderland winger James McClean celebrated by taking the opportunity to take a swipe against his online detractors.

After a nation breathed a sigh of relief after seeing that McClean is heading to Poland as the youngest member of the Irish squad for Euro 2012, some Twitter users sought fit to abuse the player through his official Twitter account.

McClean was born in Derry and represented Northern Ireland in his youth, but he had been at pains to stress his commitment to the Republic of Ireland prior to his first official call-up, while has continued to arouse the anger of some.

On the day of that call-up, McClean had retweeted some of the most vociferous abuse he had received from a small element of Northern Ireland fans yet yesterday he decided to tackle the detractors head-on, posting the following defiant tweet:

Speaking to the press, McClean was a little less confrontational, saying of his selection: “I’m over the moon. It’s the stuff of dreams. I think I’ve done really well so far, but all I’ve been concentrating on is my form for Sunderland.

“I think I’ve performed consistently so far, and thankfully, I’ve been noticed. To be picked for my country for a major championship is really a dream come true and I can’t wait to link up with the squad now.”

“As a child, all I wanted to do was play football, especially for my country,” he added. “I think that is probably why this means so much to me. Making my debut at the Aviva [against the Czech Republic] is something I’ll always remember, not only because of the reception or the occasion, but because it was a massive achievement for myself.”

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