Sunderland and http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/James-McClean-c17703 has had to close his official Twitter account after he received death threats for being selected in the European Championship 2012 squad.
The 23-year-old received a message which said that he “deserved to be shot” for choosing to play for the Republic of Ireland rather than http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Northern-Ireland-c2972. McClean was also targeted with abuse earlier on in the season when he finalized his decision.
The Police confirmed they had not received any complaint but at the same refused to discuss the details of the incident. A spokesman for the Police Service of Northern Ireland said in an interview:
“We do not discuss the security of any individual.
However, if we receive information that a person's life may be at risk, we will inform them accordingly. We never ignore anything which may put an individual at risk.”
McClean is currently busy preparing for the upcoming clash against Manchester United in the English Premier League on Sunday. The winger will most likely be in the starting line-up as the Black Cats attempt to defeat the mighty Red Devils.
Margaret Byrne, the Sunderland chief executive, revealed the club were looking into the matter to ensure the player’s safety was not at risk. The official statement released by the club said:
“Any incidents of this nature are treated with the utmost seriousness and the club is looking into this matter carefully.”
McClean initially began his career with Northern Ireland in 2009, playing for the under-21 side. He went on to make seven appearances but did not score any goals. It was in 2012 he decided he wanted to feature for the Republic of Ireland and has so far made
one appearance for them.
The Football Association of Ireland have also expressed their disappointment over the threats to McClean and revealed they supported his decision to close his Twitter account. They revealed it was probably in the best interest of the player to not use the
social media tool.
A spokesman said:
“It's a pity it has come to this, but it is maybe in his best interests in the short term.”
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