A MOVE BACK to England is becoming increasingly likely for the League of Ireland’s most coveted player, and Sean Maguire has said he would welcome the opportunity to have another crack at a career across the water.
The Cork City forward has started the season in sensational form and has inevitably attracted interest from England with Preston North End manager Simon Grayson in the crowd at Richmond Park on Friday night.
While Maguire, who spent two seasons at West Ham United before returning to Ireland with Dundalk and now Cork, has said he remains fully focused on the Leesiders’ title tilt, his long-term ambition is to go back to England.
The 22-year-old didn’t add to his tally of eight league goals for the season in Cork’s 3-0 win at Inchicore but did make another big impression, providing two assists as John Caulfield’s men maintained their 100% start to the campaign.
Maguire has been central to that and Cork may have to face the reality of losing their most prized asset when the summer transfer window opens.
“No, [I] wasn’t aware at all,” he said, when asked if he was aware Grayson and Preston’s club advisor Peter Ridsdale were in the stands.
“You have to just treat every game the same. I thought it was tough for myself tonight, Gavin Peers is a very tough, physical guy and he made it hard for me. The most important thing is to get the three points.”
Preston’s interest in the Ireland U21 international is hardly surprising, particularly when you consider the way former Dundalk pair Andy Boyle and Daryl Horgan have settled into life at Deepdale.
Maguire admits seeing how well they’ve done at the Championship club is appealing.
“Yeah, big time,” he continued. “I think they’ve set the platform for players in the League of Ireland of my age to go. Andy and Daryl have gone over there and they haven’t looked out of place.
“Andy has played a lot of games, Daryl is coming off the bench, I know he has started here and there. They are doing brilliantly over there and I’m delighted for them.
“Not only are they great players but they’re great guys off the pitch as well and I’m delighted for them.
“I think obviously in the long term I would like to go over and play at that level but I’m enjoying my football and we’re doing well at the moment and we’re going in the right direction to win the league title.”
For now, however, Maguire is focused on maintaining his form for Cork as Caulfield’s charges prepare for their next assignment against high-flying Bray Wanderers.
The Seagulls have been this season’s surprise package and currently sit third behind Cork and Dundalk as we approach the end of the first block of fixtures.
“They’ve so many great players,” Maguire said of next Friday’s opponents.
“Gary McCabe is flying, Dylan Connolly and they’ve another three or four players that are playing very well so I’m not even surprised they are up there.
“From the start of the season I knew they were going to be in contention for the league. They’ve shown it, they’ve gone away to Derry and Dundalk and beaten them so we’ll be wary of them coming down to Turner’s Cross.
“We’re treating every game the same this season, it’s another cup final.”
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How many games is Michael Oliver suspended for…? Awful display of refereeing. Retrospective punishment is pointless. It doesn’t benefit Liverpool in any way whatsoever. Man City are the major benefactors – lunacy prevails!
Karma. Who benefited when Suarez bit Ivanovic then equalised in the 96th min. Not chelsea. Swings & roundabouts.
Why don’t they just ban costa for the next two or three games Chelsea play against Liverpool??
mourinho just made it worse with his comments.if you stand on someone by accident you apologise to the guy and hold your hands up,he didn’t do that on the two occasions,hope he doesn’t have biting instincts.
That’s type of stuff just on acceptable….. It obvious what he is at, he’s hoping someone will punch him and get sent off.
It’s would be nice if some mid table veteran decided punch him on the last day of the season and then retire.
We can but hope…
They’re yar now Graham you can sleep tonight.
Andrew, its a shame, it should have been dealt with last night, but now its a public opinion court, and thats not right either. Costa has brought this on himself, but the punishment is being handled wrong…..
This Costa guy is a thug.
Well time to take Costa outta the auld fantasy football team for a few weeks :-P
Say what you want about Costa, call him a tramp or whatever…but you can’t deny his competitiveness. Or his ability.
You could say the same about Suarez, but he was crucified.
Well, when someone resorts to underhand practices it undermines their “competitiveness”- therefore you CAN deny it, because it’s no longer competing, it’s cheating. It’s mercenary behaviour.
BAZ6375 is on the money. Part of the nature of competing is a certain amount of guts to hold up your hands when you do wrong. Sure tons of ability, but gutless.
Oh man the tabloids would have all creamed themselves simultaneously had Suarez stamped on an opposing player & he would probably get a 10 match ban as well!!
Firstly lots of stuff wasn’t dealt with properly last night , and you can’t compare Costa and Suarez , Costa is a dirty horrible player that the game could do without but Suarez is a different kettle of fish altogether who is worse
Yet, both are superstars that kids talk about.
You lot make me sick ! Suarez got exactly what he deserved , he brought shame on your club and made a mockery of its history and yet you still defend him !!! Pathetic .
What the hell has that got to do with it , it’s doesn’t change who there are or change them more to the point
Fair point graham.
I remember Chelsea fans complaining for years about Luis Suarez. Now they know what it feels like to have a great, but idiotic talent in their side.
The lad seems to be a bit of a muppet, sure ya can’t be stamping on lads and get away with it, ya can’t
Campaign
Costa can only ever dream of having the talent Suarez has, costa runs around a lot, is a decent finisher and has a competitive nature. Suarez is a magnificent talent, has all the skill and vision in the world and is a lethal finisher. To compare the two is ridiculous
This thing of punishing players after games is ridiculous and biased, what Costa did was wrong and he should have been sent off for it but that is and should be entirely the responsibility of the Referee and his Officials. Football is being over-analysed far too much now and it’s being ruined because of it. Do Refs or Officials get banned for making bad decisions or mistakingly calling a player offside? No they don’t so why should players have to? And again I’m not defending Costa’s actions but I am a firm believer that what happens on the pitch should stay on the pitch!