Mansfield Town

McGuire made his first start of the season in Tuesday’s 2-0 victory over Stevenage but he says his encouraging personality is helping the younger members of the squad behind the scenes.

“I haven’t been playing so I make sure I’m behind the scenes motivating everyone. There’s a lot of young lads in the squad and it’s getting them up for games because League Two’s a tough league,” said McGuire.

“I’m bouncing round, I’m a character and getting the lads going, getting the fans going and long may it continue.”

The ex-Fleetwood man marshalled the midfield well on Tuesday night and he hopes to keep his place for this Saturday’s fixture against Dagenham & Redbridge. However, McGuire knows that manager Adam Murray will have an approach to take for the trip to Essex, as he does for every game.

“He’ll have a plan for Saturday, that’s the way it is and if I’m in that starting XI, I’m in it, if I’m not then that’s just the way it goes but it’s a team game. The whole squad’s focussed on it and if one goes out then one goes in and everyone knows their jobs. 

“The players we brought in over the summer and seeing what he wants to and taking that from the training ground to matchdays. You can see from all the boys, we’re all sticking together and we’re all learning from what the gaffer wants to do and do it in games.”

McGuire believes the whole squad is focussed on the same goal and says the common vision makes for a good atmosphere in the camp.

“It’s great coming into the changing room in the mornings because it’s bouncing. We’re looking forward to going out to train, we look forward to what the gaffer’s got planned for training and his plans for when we go and play teams on the Saturday. Everyone’s switched on to it, everyone’s focussed on what he wants to do and hopefully the fans can see that.

“Our main focus this year is getting this club to what we want to try and do; get promoted. That’s what I want to do, that’s what the players want to do, that’s what the staff want to do and I’m sure the fans want to see it as well.”

The 31-year-old is beginning to come into the twilight of his career but he admits that he has given no thought to what he might do when the time does come to hang up his boots. 

“I just take every day as it comes. I love training, I love being around the boys and being around the club, that’s the kind of guy I am.” 

McGuire continued: “I’m not thinking about that (retirement) at the moment because as long as the gaffer’s happy for me to carry on playing, I’m happy. I’m his player, I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing on a matchday and in training and we’ll see what happens after that.”

After joining the club two years ago from Fleetwood two years ago, McGuire says that he has grown to love Mansfield; both the club and the town.

“I love it. I’ve grown each year with the town, with the club, with the people, I’ve met some great people and made some good friends as well so I’m loving every moment.”