James McClean claims Celtic board s*** scared to sign him after revealing he tried to make move happen for a decade

Republic of Ireland legend James McClean revealed he has been trying to engineer a move to boyhood heroes Celtic for a DECADE but claims the Parkhead board swerved it because they were “s*** scared of the drama”.

The 35-year-old is currently in the twilight of his career and playing for Wrexham but has often been touted for a move to the Hoops throughout his playing days. McClean responded to international team-mate Adam Idah’s farewell message on Instagram to urge him to continue living the dream he has never managed to realise.

Cork native Idah netted the Scottish Cup final winner against Rangers at Hampden Park on Saturday but the striker is on loan from Norwich City with the double winners looking to make the move permanent. Fans flooded Idah’s social media page, begging him sign and McClean got in on the act. But when one supporter asked him to sign as well, he replied to say: “Tried for 10 years, board s**** scared of the ‘drama’.”

The Derry-born player has courted controversy during his career for refusing to wear a poppy, turning his back on the British national anthem and posing in an IRA-style in a balaclava in front of his children for a “school history lesson”.

McClean appeared at Parkhead six years ago when he turned out for Ireland in Scott Brown’s testimonial and revealed how he was close to signing at one stage – only for Celtic to sign flop Dutch winger Derk Boerrigter.

He said: “Look, if it was up to me I’d have been a Celtic player a long time ago. When I was leaving Sunderland, you get the rumour pages and I saw one saying Celtic had a bid accepted for me and I remember being buzzing. At the time it was under Paolo Di Canio and it was in my head that I was leaving anyway. I thought this is it! But