James McClean pays tribute to 'hero' Martin McGuinness - 'I'm not going to shy away from expressing my feelings'

March 21 2017

File photo dated 16/03/88 of an injured man being aided by mourners, including Sinn Fein vice president Martin McGuinness (left), at Milltown Cemetery, Belfast, after a gun and bomb attack killed three and left four seriously injured, at the funerals of three IRA members killed in Gibraltar. David Jones/PA Wire

Republic of Ireland winger James McClean has penned a touching tribute to the late Martin McGuinness.

The West Bromwich Albion star praised the former deputy First Minister for helping him through difficult times in his career and described him as a 'hero' and a 'friend'.

McClean, a fellow Derry native, wrote on Instagram: “[I am] writing this with a heavy heart. A bad week just getting worse, I’ve woken up to the passing of Martin just now. I am not going to shy away in expressing either how I feel.

“Not only was he a hero of mine, someone I looked up to, a man that has done so much for Irish people and Irish people’s freedom right to the very end, he was also a good friend and someone I had the pleasure of having a good relationship with.

Writing this with a heavy heart �� bad week just getting worse, woke to the passing off martin just now, am not going to shy away in expressing either how i feel, not only was he a hero of mine, someone i looked up to, a man that has done so much for irish people and irish peoples freedom right to the very end, he was also a good friend and someone i had the pleasure of having a good relationship with, a man i met so many times, had the privilege to share many a great conversation with, a man that always text me before games wishing me luck, a man that through the well documented tough times off the field always let me know how brave i was standing by my beliefs, that i never was alone because i had his support and backing always, you will be sorely missed martin, a great leader, a great hero and above all a great man.. thinking on all your loved ones.. beannacht agus buíochas a ghabháil leat mo chara ��

A post shared by Jimmymac_11 (@jimmymac_11) on Mar 21, 2017 at 3:05am PDT

“He was a man I met so many times, had the privilege to share many a great conversation with, a man that always texted me before games wishing me luck, a man that through the well documented tough times off the field always let me know how brave I was standing by my beliefs, that I never was alone because I had his support and backing always.

“You will be sorely missed Martin, a great leader, a great hero and above all a great man. I’m thinking of all your loved ones. Beannacht agus buíochas a ghabháil leat mo chara.”

McClean tweeted a picture of himself with McGuinness during Euro 2016 after the United Kingdom voted to trigger Article 50 and leave the EU but a majority of people in Northern Ireland wished to remain.

He deleted his Twitter account shortly after posting the photo.

It has been a very difficult week for McClean who is also mourning the loss of former Derry City teammate Ryan McBride, who died suddenly on Sunday aged 27.