“He Is Just a Mouth” – Wrexham Star James McClean Faces Backlash Over Pundit Role After Calling Declan Rice ‘Overrated’

‘Loose lips sink ships,’ a saying that James McClean must be relating to. The Wrexham star is in the limelight for not the reasons he’d expected to be. With domestic action on hold, the Irishman ventured into the punditry arena. However, that went completely wrong for the forward after he made some eyebrow-raising remarks on Declan Rice. It didn’t take long for the backlash to hit, with renowned Irish journalist Eamon Dunphy asserting that McClean doesn’t ‘deserve to be on television.’

The Dublin-born journalist wasn’t impressed with the Wrexham star’s work as a pundit for the ongoing Euros so far. Expressing his discontent in his own piece and as compiled by Belfast Telegraph, Dunphy said, “I’ve seen McClean a few times on RTÉ. Apparently, he is considered a find. Whenever he appears on the screen, I switch channel because he can’t express himself. He is just a mouth and beyond the noise, there is no humour.”

The 78-year-old likened McClean to Roy Keane, insisting the 35-year-old only gives rants, unlike other renowned pundits like himself, John Giles, and Liam Brady, who used to educate viewers with nuances and tactical side of the game. “Neither Keane nor McClean do that because they don’t have the verbal skills to do so. Each man is addicted to stating the bleeding obvious,” added Dunphy.

He further called the Derry-born attacker’s criticism towards his former manager Stephen Kenny as ‘cringeworthy.’ It was Kenny who helped McClean in his career during his time at Derry City. “The Derry man doesn’t deserve to be on television. It was bad enough having to watch him play — now we have to listen to him speak,” concluded Dunphy. While this is certainly a bold take from the iconic journalist, let’s hear what exactly did McClean say.

Wrexham star James McClean was too harsh on Declan Rice

While Declan Rice can be seen starring for Gareth Southgate’s England, earlier, the Arsenal star used to represent Republic of Ireland. However, in the ongoing UEFA Euro 2024, the holding midfielder has given a rather lackluster performance in the group stages. This saw James McClean criticize Rice and called him “overrated” and “not world-class” while speaking as a pundit on RTÉ.

Interestingly, Rice had made three appearances for the Irish national team in 2018 and was even a teammate of McClean. However, a year later, the former West Ham United star switched his allegiance to Three Lions. Notably, McClean’s critique fell in the ears of Rice, who suggested that his former teammate’s harsh words stemmed from the ‘bitterness‘ towards him for not donning the Ireland shirt instead.

Whatever the case may be, these comments have certainly landed James McClean in hot water. It remains to be seen what happens at this stage.