FRANKIE Maguire is ready to be a part of York City’s promotion ambition after he achieved his dream of making his Football League debut yesterday.
Maguire had joined York in the Summer from Enterprise National League side Boston United, and after racking up regular minutes in pre-season, he was ready to hit the ground running in a red shirt.
But the City playmaker would suffer with plantar fasciitis in the Minstermen’s final match of pre-season, disrupting and delaying the start to his York career.
After missing City’s first six matches of their Sky Bet League Two season, there is light at the end of the tunnel for the 23-year-old, who was granted 17 minutes from the bench in Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Chesterfield.
Whilst it wasn’t a debut which Maguire had too much pride in, it was a moment to remember for the former Sheffield United youngster, making his Football League debut after climbing his way up the non-league ladder.
“It was a nice moment for myself to get out there, but it wasn’t really one I could take in,” Maguire admitted.
“We were losing and I just wanted to make an impact, and I don’t think I did too much today.
“You’ll definitely see more of me to come over the next few weeks.
“[Scott Lindsey] didn’t say much really [after the match], I think he’d like to review it so he can speak sense rather than emotion really.
“He’ll review it, watch it back, there are probably a lot of details we need to work on and we definitely weren’t at the standard.
“Previously we have hit such a high benchmark, but it’s a benchmark where there is no reason why we can’t do it every week.”
In York’s return to the Football League, Maguire has had to sit in the stands and patiently wait to receive green light for some minutes.
He admitted that it had been a ‘killer’ for him to not be involved, adding: “It’s been hard watching it on the sides, but it’s also not a bad side to watch.
“I’ve been really impressed and there’s been a lot of good individual performances, but as a collective, we’ve been really good.
“I’m just ready to be a part of that now and to play my part.
“It’s been a killer to be honest, I had pre-season in my bank and was ready to go into pre-season.
“It was the last game of pre-season.
“A new player coming into the club, you just want to impress the fans, impress the players and unfortunately I don’t think I’ve been able to do that yet.
“I’m very motivated and I back myself, so I can’t wait to get out there to show the fans.”
Not including an out on loan Mark Shelton,Maguire was the last of the Summer signings to make his City debut with his appearance against Chesterfield, and for many, he’s a bit of an unknown entity in this squad.
Whilst the midfielder has had some impressive performances against the Minstermen at his former clubs, the York fans have had to wait before seeing how Maguire will fit into this side.
Asked where he believes his best position is, Maguire responded: “Any of the 10’s, right or left.
“Absolutely [I’ve got competition], I’m not naive and I’ve seen how well the boys are doing.
“I also know what football is like, there can be dips in form.
“I’m just going to be ready to take my chance really, all I care about is winning.
“Respectfully at Boston, there were games where I probably wasn’t at my best, but I kept my shirt.
“I knew that coming into York, that wouldn’t be the case. I was fine with that, I don’t mind competition, hopefully it’s the best of both world and we can push some players on. “
Maguire might now be hoping to contribute to City’s success, but for years, he has tormented them whilst wearing an opposition strip.
It hasn’t just been at Boston where Maguire has impressed against the Minstermen, he’s also had a spell at Bradford (Park Avenue) earlier in his career where he first faced York.
That was his first visit to the LNER Community Stadium, and on one of City’s darkest days, the West Yorkshire club thrashed City 3-0.
Fast forward five years, the Minstermen are now hopeful of gaining promotion to Sky Bet League One, which would be three levels above that York team that slumped against part-time visitors.
“I can remember playing York when I was 17 and playing for Bradford (Park Avenue) on loan,” he reflected, “Bradford (Park Avenue) won 3-0, and I can remember leaving that game thinking that, respectfully, Bradford (Park Avenue) should never be winning that game.
“I left that game and said to my dad that I wouldn’t mind playing for these [York], and with how the world works, five years down the line I’m wearing a York shirt now.
“The club was going through a stage then, we played them then and then two years later played them with Boston, and we won.
“It looked like a flip of a coin with the club, they looked like they were on the up.
“The fans, the players they had at the time and to transfer all of that again, in two years time we’re now in League Two.
“We’re fighting to go up again, there is quality in the changing room.
“As long as everyone stays aligned, I can’t see why this club can’t go up again.”
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