James McClean will be booed. At some point in West Bromwich Albion’s next match at Leicester City on Monday, McClean will either start or come off the bench and the mention of his name will provoke a loud, negative reaction.
McClean was an Irish hero in Cardiff on Monday night. He was the back page image of Irish success, he was the ‘Dragon Slayer’, he was the family man running over to kiss his wife Erin in the crowd.
This was James McClean, footballer, the teetotal fitness freak who goes for early morning runs on his own at the Irish team hotel, Martin O’Neill’s goalscoring stamina man.