James McClean to pay tribute to the late Ryan McBride by wearing number five shirt against Wales

McClean will wear the number in honour of his friend and former team-mate Ryan McBride, who was found dead at his home on Sunday at the age of 27

McClean will play for the Republic of Ireland against Wales on Friday (AFP/Getty)

Republic of Ireland midfielder James McClean will wear the number five shirt against Wales in memory of the late Derry City captain, Ryan McBride.

McClean, who plays in the Premier League for West Brom, spent three seasons at Derry and was a friend of McBride’s, who passed away on Sunday aged 27.

An FAI spokesperson confirmed that McClean will wear the number five shirt – the number McBride wore throughout his career – in tribute regardless of whether he starts the match or not.

Central defender Richard Keogh, who usually wears the number, is understood to have agreed to McClean’s request to relinquish the shirt on this occasion.

McClean will be be excused from training with Martin O’Neill’s squad to that he can attend the funeral mass of McBride on Thursday. He will then join the team ahead of their friendly against Wales at the Aviva Stadium, on Friday evening.

Ahead of the friendly, O’Neill confirmed in a press conference that McClean would be absent from training on Thursday before paying his own respects to McBride.


 O'Neill confirmed McClean would attend the funeral on Thursday 
 (Getty)

"I didn't know the young lad personally myself, but James McClean is a very good friend of his. James is devastated by the news, obviously his family is as well. It's a really tragic event," said O'Neill.

"You get things like this almost on a daily basis and it puts football and sport in some sort of perspective.

"James, who is probably the closest to him and his family, if there's anything that he feels he wants to do, then I would certainly give him the time to do so."

In the wake of McBride’s death, McClean took to Instagram to pen an emotional tribute to his former team-mate, who died from currently unknown causes.

“Tonight we lost someone I had to the privilege to play along aside but also got on well with of the field,” McClean wrote, along with an image of the late McBride.

McClean's Instagram page also featured a tribute to Northern Ireland's former deputy first minister, Martin McGuinness, following his death this week at the age of 66.

Derry-born McClean saluted the Sinn Fein politician via his Instagram account two days after learning of the death of close friend and Derry City skipper Ryan McBride.

He wrote: "Writing this with a heavy heart, bad week just getting worse. Woke to the passing of 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 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.

"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."


 McGuinness died aged 66 (Getty)
 (Getty Images)

McClean, who represented Northern Ireland at Under-21 level before opting to play his senior football for the Republic, found himself at the centre of controversy during his time at Sunderland when he refused to wear a commemorative poppy shirt in November 2012, and is still booed by Black Cats fans as a result of his stance.

He was also accused of turning his back on the British national anthem before a West Brom friendly in the United States in 2015.

McClean was not the only Ireland player to salute Mr McGuinness with injured defender Shane Duffy, another Derry native, tweeting: "More tragic news this morning, RIP Martin McGuinness, a true hero for many of us. God bless your family and close ones."

Duffy, who plays his club football for Brighton where five people were killed when the IRA bombed the Grand Hotel in 1984, received a series of replies, some critical and some supportive, before adding: "I'll always stand by what and who I support, it's the way I was brought up."

Additional reporting by PA.