James McClean shares death threats after urging support against anti-Irish abuse

Stoke City midfielder James McClean has shared a death threat that was sent to him as a direct message on Instagram, just two days after posting a statement questioning the lack of support he's received over anti-Irish abuse.

The death threat, which McClean shared on his Instagram stories, shows a man named Elliot Newman saying 'don't make me set your house on fire and burn everyone inside it'.

On Friday, McClean released a statement on his Instagram page, calling for more support against anti-Irish abuse.

'Does being abused for being Irish and anti-Irish abuse acceptable? Is it not popular enough to be seen to be ... spoke out about too?' he said.

'I have highlighted the abuse publicly on social media recently and the silence from everyone is deafening!

'We are not criminals, we are Irishmen! This the crime we stand accused.'

The 31-year-old voiced his concerns in July last year, saying that the lack of support left a 'sour taste' in his mouth as he became a target after refusing to wear a poppy on Remembrance Day - citing the 1972 Bloody Sunday massacre as his reason to abstain.

'I've been abused for the last nine years, where's my support been? Where's my level of attention?' he told talkSPORT.

The comments came off the back of racist abuse directed towards Wilfried Zaha and David McGoldrick, saying that the abuse he received should be treated just as seriously.

'I receive and have received more abuse than any other player during my nine years in England,' he said on Instagram.

On Thursday last week English football's governing bodies came together to send an open letter to Facebook and Twitter demanding action against increased levels of abuse aimed at footballers.

This came after numerous incidents of death threats and racial abuse.

The account of a 12-year-old was linked to the racist abuse West Brom's Romaine Sawyers received last month, while Anthony Martial was on the receiving end of racist abuse once again on Sunday night, following Manchester United's 1-1 draw with West Brom.

Managers Mikel Arteta and Steve Bruce have both received death threats recently.

'Some of the stuff I've had has been obscene,' Bruce said. 'You feel the hatred and something has to be done.

'It's really horrible stuff, which I couldn't really catch my breath with. Things like someone saying they hope I die of Covid and all of this. It's absolutely vile and obscene. It has to be stopped.'

Last Wednesday, Instagram announced it will impose stricter penalties including the removal of accounts to prevent abusive messages on its platform after a number of recent cases of racist abuse in football.