Irish footballer James McClean is set to lift the lid on one of the game’s most compelling and controversial careers with the release of his memoir The Walls, due for publication on October 22. “It’s rare to read a sporting memoir and hope to find something unique and different,” Penguin Sandycove publisher Michael McLoughlin said about the release. “The Walls is that book – laugh-out-loud funny while also delivering a serious examination of life as a top-class footballer.” Written with award-winning Irish Independent journalist Daniel
McDonnell, the book traces McClean’s journey from his childhood in Derry through to a career that has spanned more than a decade at the elite level. The former Republic of Ireland international, who earned over 100 caps during his international career, charts his rapid rise from Derry City to the Premier League, as well as the intense scrutiny that followed. The memoir promises an unfiltered account of his decision not to wear the Remembrance poppy, along with reflections on fame, personal struggles and the pressures
of modern football. The Walls will also explore McClean’s life off the pitch, offering a deeply personal portrait of a player who has long divided opinion but never lacked conviction. “I’ve tried to be completely honest,” McClean said. “From my upbringing and early obsession with football to the highs of representing my country and the controversies that changed my family’s life.”
James McClean, The Walls memoir, October 22, Penguin Sandycove, Michael McLoughlin, Daniel McDonnell, Derry City, Premier League, Republic of Ireland, Remembrance poppy, international caps, Irish football