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

He told BBC News that NI 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.”

James McClean has had an acclaimed club and international career, having earned 103 caps for the Republic of Ireland.

The 37-year-old began his career at Derry City before moving to Sunderland and appearing for a number of clubs in the Premier League and Championship, including Sunderland, West Bromwich Albion, Stoke and Wigan Athletic.

He later made more than 100 appearances for Wrexham in all competitions, scoring eight goals, before returning to Derry City in January last year.

His return to his hometown club, however, has been derailed by a contract dispute which he has described as “incomprehensible”.

McClean has described the past few months as “one of the most difficult periods of his life” and also apologised over social media posts in which he aired frustrations over the ongoing issues at Derry.