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Republic of Ireland winger James McClean has revealed that he has been diagnosed with autism. The Wigan Athletic attacker has discovered that he has the developmental disability through his four-year-old daughter.
McClean bravely took to Instagram and posted in support of World Autism Acceptance Week. He said:
"The more Erin (his partner) and I learned about autism, the more we began to recognise I was very similar to Willow in more ways than we thought. I see so many small traits in her that I see in myself. So I decided to go and get an ASD assessment."
The Irishman then revealed his diagnosis and admitted that he debated about going public with it:
"It’s been a bit of a journey, and now having a diagnosis, I feel it’s time to share it, for the week that’s in it."
He concluded:
"I have debated for a while going public in sharing this as I’ve done this for Willow-Ivy, to let her know that I understand and that being autistic won't and should never hold her back from reaching her goals and dreams."
James McClean's revelation came during the Autism Acceptance Week, and he has gained support of fans after bringing his diagnosis to light. One fan recalled the Irish winger's past spells at Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion:
"Used to be one of my heroes during his Sunderland/Bromwich days."
Here's how fans on Twitter supported James McClean after he revealed his autism diagonis:
Kylian Mbappe heaps praise on James McClean's compatriot Evan Ferguson
Evan Ferguson has been a revelation in the Premier League this season. The 18-year-old has enjoyed a meteoric rise at Brighton & Hove Albion, scoring seven goals and contributing four assists in 20 appearances across competitions.
The teenage forward, who made his senior debut for Irish outfit Bohemians aged 14, has earned plaudits throughout the campaign. The latest high-profile name to laud James McClean's compatriot, Ferguson, is France captain Kylian Mbappe.
The PSG attacker spoke ahead of his side's 1-0 win over Ireland on Monday (March 27). He highlighted the striker as a player they had watched clips of (via The Athletic):
“We’ve seen some clips about (Evan Ferguson). Of course, he is a great striker, an important striker for that team."
Ferguson scored in Ireland's opening 3-2 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifier win over Latvia before their defeat to France. He's clearly on his way to becoming a top star in English football.
