"Irrelevant..." - Mark McGuinness makes honest Sheffield Wednesday admission after joining select Sheffield United club
"Irrelevant..." - Mark McGuinness makes honest Sheffield Wednesday admission after joining select Sheffield United club
His prior association with their city rivals is no secret but when the call finally came from Sheffield United to make the move to Bramall Lane, Mark McGuinness was only interested in looking forward rather than back. The 24-year-old returned to the Steel City on deadline day after a deal was agreed with Luton Town.
His arrival was delayed while the finer details of Jack Robinson’s exit to Birmingham City were ironed out but it probably helped the Republic of Ireland international’s adjustment period that the city of Sheffield is not exactly alien to me.
The giant centre-half played half a season on loan at United’s arch rivals Wednesday in 2022/23, with Owls fans left broken hearted when he was recalled by Cardiff City midway through the season after making such an impression.
When he makes his United debut, potentially in Friday’s trip to Ipswich Town as the Blades return to action following the international break, he will join a select band of footballers to have pulled on the shirt of the two Sheffield clubs.
But McGuinness didn’t pay much attention to his past endeavours in blue and white when the chance to move to the other side of the city arose. “It’s very much where I’m at in my career,” he explained after meeting the local media for the first time at United’s Shirecliffe training ground this week.
Mark McGuinness makes honest Sheffield Wednesday admission after joining select Sheffield United club
“Decisions I make are purely based on what's best for my career and where I see myself going and where I want to progress to. So for me, it was a very simple decision when it comes to that. Whether it's your rivals, whether it's down the road, close to home or across the waters.
“I think for me, it's almost irrelevant. I like to get involved with every club I'm at, feel close to the fans and everything. That will always be something that I will always do and enjoy. But my career comes first, and this is where this move comes in.”
There is no denying that there was a great deal of mutual affection between Wednesdayites and McGuinness during his spell at Hillsborough - a connection he is now hoping to replicate in the centre of the city.
“It's something that I really enjoy, something that helps me perform,” the former Arsenal youngster added. “It helps me to get involved in the environment and I want to do that. I want to feel a part of the family that we're going on this journey with.
“Because it's not just us players on the pitch. We are there to perform and we need to do that but it's everyone invlved in the club. It's the whole community that will really help the club progress to those next levels.”
McGuinness will return to familiar territory of Hillsborough later this year for the first instalment of this year’s Steel City derby but at the minute the priority is helping to arrest United’s poor start to the season.
“I’m 24 but I’ve played a lot of games now,” he said. “Mostly in the Championship, and I have that experience. For me, it’s about taking that next step, and doing it with a team that is really going to develop me and make me a better player.
“Sheffield United have got a playing style, a manager and an environment where I really see myself growing. As well as the fans, and everything that really helps this club be what it is. That adds a little bit of pressure but it also has that family sort of feel to it. So that's where really I want to get to. I want to get to that next level. And obviously, the dream is the Premier League.”