Simon Grayson's covert mission to turn Preston North End into an 'Ireland select' has been going well so far, but as the former Leeds boss was spotted at Cork City's clash with St.Pat's at the weekend, it seems that he's hungry to keep it going.
In all seriousness, there was no way that Seanie Maguire's form since joining Cork from Dundalk was going to go unnoticed, and having been impressed by how quickly Daryl Horgan and Andy Boyle have settled in to life at Preston, Grayson has good reason to show interest in the man who scored 18 goals last season and started the new campaign like a man possessed.
And he's not hiding his interest. Speaking to the Lancashire Post, Simon Grayson was clear that he wanted to get a first hand look at Maguire before deciding on any move for the player.
It is pretty public knowledge that I went to Dublin at the weekend with Peter Ridsdale.
We know quite a bit about the player and this was a good chance to watch him live with us not playing until Monday.
Time will tell if we decide to pursue it anymore. He is a decent player, his goals tally will tell you that.
Sometimes players come to England, it doesn’t work out, they go back to Ireland but then it suddenly clicks. The fact we have Daryl Horgan and Andy Boyle shows we are not frightened to go to that level.
We watch players many times before making decisions and I’d not had the chance to see Maguire before.
And should he decide that he does want Seanie to lead the line for Preston in the near future, Grayson believes that the signings of Horgan and Boyle from Dundalk, and the speed at which they found first-team opportunities, puts them in a stronger position than other clubs.
The Irish contingent would be a selling point.
If we were looking to bring Maguire in or any other player from the Irish League, they will see it as an opportunity to play and that the other lads would help them settle in.
It's not what Cork City fans would have wanted to hear at all with the season still in the early stages, but it was inevitable that clubs would show interest in Maguire, and Preston almost certainly won't be the last.
[via LEP.co.uk]
