James McClean's chilling car crash revelation as Wrexham star breaks silence on ordeal
James McClean's chilling car crash revelation as Wrexham star breaks silence on ordeal
Wrexham captain James McClean has candidly discussed how he narrowly avoided serious injury in a car crash on his way to training, describing the experience as 'scary'
Wrexham captain James McClean has reflected on how close he came to serious injury after a car crash
(Image:)
Wrexham captain James McClean has opened up about how he narrowly avoided serious injury after crashing his car.
The former Republic of Ireland international was on his way to training in the city on the morning of January 22 this year when his Audi RS6 hit a roundabout near Wrexham Golf Club. The 36-year-old underwent medical checks after his car was left severely damaged, but miraculously emerged relatively unscathed himself as police and fire crews attended the scene.
Undeterred by the frightening experience, McClean later attended training as planned after his car was taken away by a recovery vehicle. And he was even well enough to play in a crucial League One clash between Wrexham and rivals Birmingham City at the Racecourse Ground the following evening.
While McClean was left with only minor injuries, he has now revealed how he was lucky to escape serious harm after admitting "I was saved that day." He lifted the lid on what happened in scenes aired as part of the latest episode of the Welcome to Wrexham documentary.
"It was a really foggy morning and it was hard to see," McClean said. "I thought I had more road than I did. I came out from behind a lorry and the roundabout just appeared. For the next five seconds it was just a blur.
"Then the car stopped and there's all this smoke coming out of the car. The door was quite wedged and I was banging it to get it open."
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Wrexham's James McClean was involved in a car crash on his way to training in January
(Image: Instagram/macajw )
Reflecting on how severe the incident could have been, he added: "I just see it as there's bigger things ahead for me and it just wasn't my time. I was saved that day. It was a scary experience, but it just shows you how quickly things can change."
McClean's wife Erin, with whom he shares four children, also spoke out about how concerned she was after learning of the crash via a text from her husband.
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"I got a message from James saying he'd just been in a crash and he sent me a picture of the car," she said. "I didn't believe it. My heart just started racing and then I rang him straight away.
"He answered and I was like, 'Are you hurt?'. He was like, 'I'm actually okay'. I just jumped in the car and went straight to Wrexham. He came out and was like, 'I'm going to training.'"
McClean previously disclosed how Erin was targeted with unpleasant messages on social media in the immediate aftermath of the crash.
Posting on Instagram after starring in Wrexham's 1-1 draw with Birmingham, he said: "Now that the game is out of the way, to address yesterday. An experience I never wish to encounter again.
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"I am blessed and thankful I managed to walk away with minor injuries and return home to my family, though much to the disappointment of some smelly scruffy pathetic creatures that messaged my wife online. Thank you for the messages of support."
McClean joined Wrexham from Wigan Athletic for an undisclosed fee in the summer of 2023 after playing in the Premier League with Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion earlier in his career.
He has helped the club, owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, achieve automatic promotion in the last two seasons, rising from League Two to the Championship.
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