Erin McClean has spoken out following her husband James McClean’s controversial comments regarding mental health, claiming the footballer is ‘struggling’.
The legendary footballer sparked major controversy when he claimed men who choose to speak to a therapist about their mental health issues were ‘weak’.
James even revealed in this interview with the Sunday Independent that his wife told him he ‘needs to speak to someone’ but has never once considered doing so.
James sparked controversy in the interview when he discussed hearing his brother talking to the club psychologist. He claimed that ‘a lot of the players speak to him and for me that’s just weak’.
‘As a man I see that as weakness. I don’t need to open up. I see it as a weakness that I’d have to speak to someone about my feelings, my emotions,’ he added.
Taking to Instagram in response to the interview, Erin said: ‘James made some of his comments in the context of admitting that I have been strongly encouraging him to seek therapy, to deal with issues from his early life as well as to face the end of his career.
‘I do not agree with James’ opinion on the subject of therapy and mental health.’
Erin later revealed that she assisted in writing his upcoming book (which he promoted in his controversial interview). She claimed she had discussed her ‘worries about how James will cope with life after football’ in his autobiography.
Speaking about the book, Erin continued: ‘I am proud that in the process of working on the book, he has opened himself up to difficult conversations and has allowed people to see some of his vulnerabilities.
‘He is struggling at the moment, and has been for some time. He may not agree with me sharing that, but I’ve told him that I need to explain this. I’m working on getting him to a place where he recognises that speaking about this is not a sign of weakness.
‘When James is suffering from stress from stress or anxiety about a situation, his instinct is to lash out. It has been a daily battle in a year where I feel he hasn’t been given the support that he requires when he is clearly struggling.
‘I know James to be very supportive to personal friends of ours when they have gone through difficult times. While he continues to push back at the idea of therapy for himself, that does not mean he does not care about other people’s struggles or the importance of seeking help.’
Derry City FC have also responded to McClean’s comments, stressing that it does not reflect the values of the club.
In a statement they said: ‘The club wishes to make clear that these views do not reflect our core values or beliefs. The club places the highest priority on the mental health and wellbeing of our players, staff and the wider Derry City community.
‘Supported by our in-house psychologist, the club actively encourages anyone facing mental health challenges to speak openly, seek support and know they never have to face such challenges alone.
‘The club has accepted an invitation to meet with Men’s Action Network (MAN) to discuss these issues.’
This controversy comes after James reportedly fell out of favour with former manager Tiernan Lynch early into his return to the club. He has also not been picked by interim manager Mark Connolly.
