James McClean: Charity offers to meet footballer over therapy comments

Lynch said he would welcome a meeting with McClean to discuss his views, as first reported by Derry Now, external.

He told BBC News NI that McClean was entitled to his views and “neither I nor anyone else is entitled to say otherwise, because men’s mental health is such a complex issue”.

“In some ways, I agree with him, in the sense that he mentioned that the only person who can decide whether seeking support is right for them is the person themselves, because nobody can do it for you.

“But what I and others involved with MAN would say is that there is certainly still a stigma around men feeling that they cannot reach out at times and say, ‘I am not OK and need to seek support’, when that is so far from the truth.”

Lynch added that “asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness”.

“For men to recognise that they need support and act on it is incredibly brave.”

Lynch said James McClean was an influential figure, particularly for young men from Derry, given his sporting and personal achievements.

“We would obviously welcome a meeting with someone of that stature, for him to come and meet with the people we speak with every day, and we would love for him to have a conversation with us.

“I think it would be really beneficial for people to hear from someone who has achieved so much in his career and has been a role model for so many people, to show what can be achieved with hard work.”