Wrexham star James McClean delivered a shock message to Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's side amid a lack of game time. The winger has dropped a stunning revelation, claiming that his passion for boxing has eclipsed his love for football, and he’s planning to hang up his boots for gloves sooner rather than later.
When football turned feisty for McClean
McClean’s tempestuous edge boiled over as tensions flared behind the scenes during Wrexham’s Carabao Cup derby clash against fierce Welsh rivals, Cardiff City. Emotions were running hot at the Racecourse Ground, and after the match, an incident in the players’ car park threatened to turn ugly. A group of Cardiff City fans reportedly breached a restricted area and confronted McClean, forcing him to defend himself. Witnesses claimed that he stood his ground and handled himself well. An internal investigation is now underway into how rival supporters gained access to the secured zone. But for McClean, the encounter only deepened his belief that he might be better suited to a ring than a pitch.
AdvertisementAFPMcClean is a fighter at heart
Over the past year, McClean has been training intensively in boxing. He has been posting workout clips to his Instagram that show sharp jabs and fierce combinations.
Speaking in an interview with Westlife star released on Thursday, he said: "I'll be honest, I've really enjoyed it [at Wrexham] up until the last two or three months. It's not been ideal, I've not been playing as much as I'd like, which is never a good thing. You want to be playing and you want to be in the mix. I've never dealt really well with not playing."
The Republic of Ireland international, who joined Wrexham from Wigan Athletic in August 2023, has helped guide the club to back-to-back promotions. But the step up to the Championship has brought new realities. And it seems to have bruised his pride.
"Nowadays, I just channel that frustration and annoyance and do my training. Before, I'd throw my toys out of the pram," he said. "Now, I just channel that frustration into the punch bag and it seems to blow off a bit of steam. You kind of feel better for it afterwards."
Taste of the big stage for McClean
McClean isn’t just shadowboxing, but he has already dipped his toes into the professional world. On September 5, the Wrexham winger walked out with Michael Conlan for his high-profile bout against Jack Bateson at Dublin’s 3Arena. Now, he confirmed that talks have already taken place about entering the Misfits Boxing circuit. It is an influencer-led crossover promotion that’s given everyone from YouTubers to ex-footballers a shot at the spotlight.
"I do want to box," he admitted. "Misfits (boxing company) is opening up opportunities for a lot of people who aren't professional boxers to give them the opportunity to step in and experience what it's like to be a boxer. Absolutely, it's something I want to do and there has been background chats about it, but I'm contracted at the moment. It's definitely something I want to do in the near future.
"A lot of my training now is boxing training. I have a bigger passion now for boxing than I do for football. I would rather watch boxing than watch football. It's something I want to do and it's something I want to experience to tick off my bucket list. I've done the ring walk for Mike Conlan in Dublin. Being on the stage that night and doing the ring walk was unbelievable. I was thinking, imagine doing that, where this is for you and you're going into the ring for a tear up. I get goosebumps."
GettyWhat comes next for McClean?
McClean was once seen as one of the dressing room’s emotional leaders. But he has now found himself watching from the sidelines more often than not this season as he has made just 10 appearances across all competitions. Wrexham currently sit 14th in the table, comfortably clear of the relegation zone but well off the play-off pace. Their next test is a home tie against Charlton Athletic on Saturday, which will be their final game before the international break.