Mansfield Town midfielder Jamie McGuire has taken on a motivational role after finding his first team opportunities limited in the opening weeks of the season.
McGuire made his first start of the season in Tuesdayās 2-0 victory over Stevenage but he says his encouraging personality is helping the younger members of the squad behind the scenes.
āI havenāt been playing so I make sure Iām behind the scenes motivating everyone. Thereās a lot of young lads in the squad and itās getting them up for games because League Twoās a tough league,ā said McGuire.
āIām bouncing round, Iām a character and getting the lads going, getting the fans going and long may it continue.ā
The ex-Fleetwood man marshalled the midfield well on Tuesday night and he hopes to keep his place for this Saturdayās 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.
āHeāll have a plan for Saturday, thatās the way it is and if Iām in that starting XI, Iām in it, if Iām not then thatās just the way it goes but itās a team game. The whole squadās focussed on it and if one goes out then one goes in and everyone knows their jobs.Ā
āThe 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, weāre all sticking together and weāre all learning from what the gaffer wants to do and do it in games.ā
McGuire believes the whole squad is focussed on the same goal and says the common vision makes for a good atmosphere in the camp.
āItās great coming into the changing room in the mornings because itās bouncing. Weāre looking forward to going out to train, we look forward to what the gafferās got planned for training and his plans for when we go and play teams on the Saturday. Everyoneās switched on to it, everyoneās focussed on what he wants to do and hopefully the fans can see that.
āOur main focus this year is getting this club to what we want to try and do; get promoted. Thatās what I want to do, thatās what the players want to do, thatās what the staff want to do and Iām sure the fans want to see it as well.ā
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.Ā
āI just take every day as it comes. I love training, I love being around the boys and being around the club, thatās the kind of guy I am.āĀ
McGuire continued: āIām not thinking about that (retirement) at the moment because as long as the gafferās happy for me to carry on playing, Iām happy. Iām his player, Iāll just keep doing what Iām doing on a matchday and in training and weāll see what happens after that.ā
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.
āI love it. Iāve grown each year with the town, with the club, with the people, Iāve met some great people and made some good friends as well so Iām loving every moment.ā
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