“We hurt every bit as much as you do” – James McClean

James McClean could not have done much more to get Ireland to a World Cup.

He scored goals - the most goals. He made tackles - the biggest tackles. He ran miles - by far the most miles. He played with his heart on his sleeve but he also played with pure footballing effect too. In one bad game for the country, it was all undone. The Derry man tried to put it into words afterwards in a post-match interview with RTÉ but he was too heartbroken to even speak and it was genuinely tough to watch. He has since put his thoughts into words though and hit back at Ireland's over-the-top critics on his Instagram page. In the wake of the big loss, the West Brom club man admitted that the performance wasn't good enough on the night but, in the rush to judgement, he's taken the opportunity to remind the country that those players and those coaches have served Ireland with distinction and they too are hurting. He also wanted to remind the critics that they have had a good few years. One game shouldn't change that and McClean has put it well in his statement below:

"Last night is going to hurt deep for a long long time, nothing can change or make what happend last night right, of course everyone is entitled to voice their opinion because it was simply not good enough from us on the night, we know that ourselves, but to stick the boot in and kick players and staff when they are down ( players and staff have been great servants to this country, players and staff that have qualified for a major tournament and was unlucky to be knocked out to a great team in the last 16, players and staff that was one game from making it to a world cup, players and staff that would give anything for this great country! ) with some over the top beyond football comments is bang out of order, hurting or not and trust me when a say this we hurt every bit as much as you do.. i am proud and honoured to be a irish man and to call everyone of these men fellow country men and team mates! Like a said this will hurt deep, we have been written of so many times before an just like before we will bounce back!"

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bbg2flgAfKs/?hl=en&taken-by=jimmymac_11