Every November, Premier League and EFL clubs take to the pitch with a poppy embroidered on their shirts to mark Remembrance weekend.

The vast majority of players wear the symbol without comment but over the years, a small number have opted out – and two of the most high-profile cases of former Premier League players have been James McClean and Nemanja Matic in recent years.

Both have set out their reasons in detail, and both are rooted in personal experience.

James McClean's Reason For Not Wearing Poppy

McClean, who grew up in the Creggan area of Derry, first declined to wear a poppy while playing for Sunderland in 2012 and has maintained that stance at every English club since.

He explained his position in a 2014 letter to then-Wigan Athletic chairman Dave Whelan. In it, he said he had full respect for those who died in the First and Second World Wars and would wear a poppy if it commemorated only them.

However, he argued the poppy also honours British servicemen in later conflicts, including in Northern Ireland, and said that for people from his community, "the poppy has come to mean something very different". He cited Bloody Sunday in 1972, when British soldiers shot dead 13 civil rights marchers in Derry, as an event that still shapes his community.

The decision has seen McClean targeted by sections of crowds throughout his career, and he has also stood apart from teammates during pre-match silences in recent seasons. He returned to boyhood club Derry City in January 2026 after 15 years in English football and recorded over 100 games for his country.

Nemanja Matic's Reason For Not Wearing Poppy

Matic's decision came to light when he was the only Manchester United player without a poppy during a 2-1 win at Bournemouth in November 2018.

The Serbian midfielder, who had worn a poppy at previous clubs, then released a statement on Instagram explaining his reasoning. He said the symbol reminded him of being a frightened 12-year-old in his home village of Vrelo during the NATO bombing of Serbia in 1999, part of the campaign to drive Serbian forces out of Kosovo.

Matic stressed that he understood why people wear poppies, respected their right to do so and had sympathy for anyone who had lost loved ones in conflict. He added that he did not want to offend anyone or undermine the symbol in Britain, describing it as a personal choice and noting "we are all a product of our own upbringing".

"I recognise fully why people wear poppies, I totally respect everyone's right to do so and I have total sympathy for anyone who has lost loved ones due to conflict," he said in 2018.

"However, for me it is only a reminder of an attack that I felt personally as a young, frightened 12-year old boy living in Vrelo, as my country was devastated by the bombing of Serbia in 1999.

"Whilst I have done so previously, on reflection I now don't feel it is right for me to wear the poppy on my shirt.

"I do not want to undermine the poppy as a symbol of pride within Britain or offend anyone, however, we are all a product of our own upbringing and this is a personal choice for the reasons outlined."

He did not wear a poppy for the Manchester derby the following weekend, which fell on Remembrance Sunday. The Royal British Legion responded by reiterating that wearing a poppy must be a matter of personal choice.

Premier League clubs have all sent out articles and posts regarding Remembrance Day, outlining how they plan to honour the Royal British Legion as well as the wider Poppy Appeal and other charitable causes.