HE plays piano and guitar and enjoys a game of lawn bowls, so Mark McGuinness might not necessarily fit the stereotype of your average professional footballer.
Born and bred in Slough on the outskirts of London, McGuinness qualifies for the Boys in Green through his Limavady-born dad John and he’s hoping to make his debut against Finland (Thursday) or against England at Wembley on Sunday (5pm).
A talented all-round sportsman, he came through the Arsenal Academy system in the same batch as England international Bukayo Saka but, with first team opportunities limited at the Emirates, he moved on to Ipswich Town (loan) aged 19 and then spent three seasons with Cardiff City. He is now establishing himself at Championship side Luton Town.
Towering centre-half McGuinness (he stands a shade over 6′4″) represented England at U15 level but is a graduate of the Republic’s U19 and U21 sides and was named in the last Ireland squad but had to withdraw with an ankle injury.
Back again and fully fit this time, he fielded questions with a beaming smile when he met reporters after his first training session with Heimar Hallgrimsson’s senior squad on Monday morning.
“The manager came to one of the games previous to me being called up and we had a conversation,” he explained.
“But I still wasn’t 100 per cent sure (of getting in) so it was nice to get that call-up. There’s very strong competition in all positions but I’m aware that in the centre-half position there’s lads playing at the top level week-in and week-out at the Premier League.
“That’s the level I hope to get to but also I hope I can add something different to the squad.”
A ball-playing centre-half with good feet, he is also a potent option from set pieces. He worked closely with former Republic midfielder and assistant-manager Liam Brady during his formative years with Arsenal.
“Liam was a big part of my academy days,” he says.
“We got on well and he was obviously a big influence for me, being of Irish heritage as well. It was nice having him there, he was a big role, it was nice to have him around when I was younger.
“I was quite fortunate to be in an environment where there was a lot of demand on youngsters in terms of discipline and hard work.
“We didn’t have all the luxuries that some of the academies have now, even Arsenal, when I first joined Arsenal it wasn’t as luxurious as it is now. There was a few years where they had changed it all up but it was very much, head down, work, which is pretty telling of an Irish player.”
Emile Smith-Rowe (Fulham), Eddie Nketiah (Crystal Palace), Reiss Nelson (Fulham) and England international Saka (currently injured) were all contemporaries at Arsenal as well as many others playing at Championship and League One level.
McGuinness, who also spent time on loan at Sheffield Wednesday last season, says that experience has broadened his skillset.
“I’d like to think I have an array of different skillsets now,” he said.
“I enjoy getting on the ball, like we all do, it’s why we play the sport. I’m happy to do any role the gaffer wants me to do. It’s important we are solid and have a nice foundation to build on.
“I’m not a perfect player, there’s things I’ve to work on, there’s certainly more things than distribution that I would like to work on.
“If I was to sit here and say I was perfect, I’d be lying to you. Distribution is something I do feel I’m good at in terms of variation of passes, long distance passes, short passes…
“From my academy days at Arsenal and going through that, seeing top level players, being involved in that, you can’t get away with not being tidy on the ball.
“It’s something that everyone can work on and the higher up you go, the more demand there Is to play and get on the ball. As I said, my main role is to defend.”
This weekend he’ll hope to get his senior international debut and at the same time older brother John is playing bowls for England in Hong Kong. Their dad John, a former Derry GAA player, represented Ireland and England at bowls and won a Commonwealth Games silver medal.
Mark, a talented golfer and tennis player as a youngster, still enjoys a game of bowls now and again and says that, for him, the lifestyle of international lawn bowler isn’t much different to that of a (now international) footballer.
“Believe it or not, it’s not much different - not the way we are as a family and how I’ve been brought up,” he says.
“In terms of the sport, it’s different, but the fundamentals of being a high level athlete are pretty much the same, there’s a lot of dedication that goes into it. Fair play to them (his father and brother) they’ve been in a fortunate position to play for their country as well.”
