Derry City have said that the comments made by their player James McClean about therapy and speaking to a psychologist "do not reflect" the core values or beliefs of the club.
The club, the only Northern Irish member of the League of Ireland, issued a statement on Monday following remarks made by McClean in an interview with the Irish Independent in which he said speaking to a club psychologist is "weak."
"Derry City FC notes the comments regarding mental health made by James McClean and published in yesterday's Sunday Independent," the statement read.
"The club wishes to make clear that these views do not reflect our core values or beliefs.
"The club places the highest priority on the mental health and wellbeing of our players, staff and the wider Derry City community.
"Supported by our in-house psychologist, the club actively encourages anyone facing mental health challenges to speak openly, seek support and know they never have to face such challenges alone.
"The club has accepted an invitation to meet with Men's Action Network [MAN] to discuss these issues."
In the interview, McClean was responding to a question about if he had ever considered seeking therapy for "built-up anger and frustration."
McClean said that he had once heard his teammate and younger brother Patrick McClean on a call to the club's in-house psychologist, having what McClean called a "lovely chat."
"A lot of the players speak to him [the psychologist] and for me that's just weak. As a man, I see that as weakness. I don't need to open up. I see it as a weakness that I'd have to speak to someone about my feelings, my emotions."
The MAN has since said that is seeking a meeting with McClean, while Derry City has accepted an invite to meet.
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MAN chair Michael Lynch told DerryNow that "MAN wants to highlight why we believe the message is wrong and to explain why it matters."
"Men asking for support is not a sign of weakness," Lynch said. "For more than 30 years, MAN has worked in our community to challenge the stigma that it is.
"We have and continue to support men through difficult periods in their lives and encourage them to seek help without fear or judgement.
"Asking for help does not minimise who you are. It is exactly the opposite. It creates space for you to progress in your own time, understand yourself better and move forward.
"James McClean is an influential figure, particularly for young men in our community. With that influence comes an opportunity to encourage men to seek support.
"MAN is very aware of the dangers of reinforcing the stigma which might prevent them from doing so."
McClean returned to Derry, his boyhood club, in January after parting ways with Wrexham.
He has not been included in Derry's squad since the beginning of August, with the player and club locked in a contract dispute.
Across his career, he has had spells at Wigan, Sunderland, West Bromwich Albion and Stoke.
He represented the Republic of Ireland at international level and earnt 103 caps for the country.
