McGuinness: I Felt Part of the Squad on My First Day Friday, 25th Sep 2020 13:21 New signing Mark McGuinness, who has arrived on a season-long loan deal from Arsenal, is desperate to make the most of the Portman Road experience. In fact, the 19-year-old central defender was in such a rush to drive down the A12 that he didn’t wait to say his farewells to Gunners boss Mikael Arteta. McGuinness, who stands almost 6ft 4ins tall, said: “I didn’t actually speak to him. I spoke to the first-team coaches and they wished me the best of luck but I didn’t catch Mikael. “It was all a bit last minute to be honest and I didn’t get to see him before I left to come down here. “I’m a football fan as well as a player and I know all about Ipswich, so I was aware of the club’s history. But I want to know more about it and I look forward to connecting to everybody, the people at the club and the fans as well. “It’s only a loan spell but I’m fully committed to being an Ipswich player for the rest of this season and I want to be fully involved in what’s going on.” While McGuinness has made outstanding progress with the North London giants, he has also suffered from the down side of football and spent more time than he would have liked on the sidelines, recovering from the sort of injuries that are regrettably part and parcel of football. He explained: “It was hard after I started so promisingly at Arsenal when I was full-time at 17 and seemed to be progressing well. One injury kept me out for three or four months [a torn quad] and it was tough to be in that situation when I’d been playing football every day until then. I was suddenly spending my time in the gym doing rehab. “Later on I did my shoulder and it was a hard time for me all over again. I had an operation on my shoulder in January this year and instead of missing a lot of games I only actually missed a couple because of the Covid-19 pandemic. It went quite well for me, fortunately. “I had some help from the psychologists and people like that at Arsenal, while the facilities are fantastic, but it definitely was a hard time for me. “But I never got down, I continued to train and get through it. I was always waiting for an opportunity like this, so when the chance came I grasped it and hopefully I’ll have an injury-free season with Ipswich just playing games.” McGuinness, who comes from a sporting family, spent a lot of time on the golf course as he continued his recovery. “Probably too much,” he laughed, “but I thought it was important to get away from football for spells and it turned out to be a key move. “It turned my mind away from the injuries and helped me to stay positive. I’m looking to get a few rounds in while I’m at Ipswich and I hope some of the lads will be keen to join me.” London-born McGuinness has been capped by the Republic of Ireland at U19 level and when asked if he might switch to representing England in the future he made it quite clear where his loyalty lies. He said: “I love playing for Ireland and I’m really comfortable with that. I really like the set-up there and I like the coaches and the staff, as well as the players, so at the moment my heart is set on the Republic of Ireland. “My dad is actually from Northern Ireland but don’t ask me how it works. All I know is that I enjoy playing for the Republic of Ireland.” With the current lockdown situation it is unlikely his parents will be able to witness his Town debut. “It’s naturally disappointing,” he said, “but they’ll be watching on their iPads or laptops, I’m sure of that.” An Arsenal fan growing up, it was much to the delight of his Gunners-supporting father that his son joined the club’s academy set-up when he was only 10 years old. But he knows there is nothing certain about the future as he looks to find a pathway to the top. He said: “My aim is to eventually play at the highest level possible, whether that turns out to be Arsenal or somewhere else, just the top level. “My dad was always an Arsenal fan and he was chuffed when I joined them at a young age. I definitely want to play for the first team — that’s my goal — and this move is a good stepping-stone to reaching the highest level. “But for now I am only focused on Ipswich and helping them to win promotion this season. I felt part of the squad on my first day, the lads were so welcoming. “I’m a central defender but the way I feel, if the manager asks me to play striker or goalkeeper I’ll play there. I just want to pull on the Ipswich shirt and get out on the pitch to show what I have to offer. “There were a few clubs interested in signing me — it’s amazing what a couple of good games can do — but I’m confident this is the right choice for me and will only help me to progress in the game. “I remember Ainsley Maitland-Niles coming here on loan and he seemed to really enjoy it. I see this as a fantastic opportunity, not just for me but any young player that comes here. It’s a great platform, a great club and I see it as a fantastic move for me. “I didn’t actually speak to Ainsley but I did have a chat with Harry Clarke, who plays alongside me for Arsenal after joining from Ipswich [as an academy schoolboy in 2015]. “He doesn’t live too far from me and he had nothing but good things to say about Ipswich. It was good to speak to him because he couldn’t have been more positive.”
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