MARK MCGUINNESS looked impressive on Friday night, leading the backline well as Ireland U21s secured an important 2-0 win over Luxembourg.

A big, imposing defender who is also comfortable in possession, it’s easy to see why the former Arsenal youngster was snapped up by Mick McCarthy’s Cardiff during the summer.

It has not been a straightforward transition for McGuinness though.

The youngster’s progress at the Gunners, where he ultimately could not break into the first team, was curbed at times by injuries and he has also missed a portion of this season after picking up a knock, missing Ireland’s opening two qualifiers as well as several games at club level.

The defender has also had to show his versatility in a club that has struggled, as they sit 20th in the Championship.

In the three matches he has played so far, he has started in three different positions — right-back, right wing-back and right-sided centre-back of a three.

“As long as I’m in the team I don’t mind, I’ll play anywhere, I’ll play in goal if I have to. It’s been good, I’ve enjoyed it. It’s been different in one sense. But at the same time, once you are a footballer, you are a footballer, you can play in any position. I’ve enjoyed it. Centre-back is where I want to be, it’s where I want to make my career. But you never know, I’ve been enjoying the freedom of the right-wing-back role in the last game.

“I like setting up attacks, it’s what I’ve been brought up with as well. I feel like I have adapted to that role as well. And I’ve got great players around me, so that makes my life easier.

“I started off playing the first game of the season and then picked up a bit of a knock, so it’s been a bit of a rollercoaster start. But I got myself back into the side the last couple of games and the experience has been great, it’s a good level, a good experience for me.

“[Mick has] been great. He brought me in during the summer, a similar position to what I play. He’s been through it and obviously on the international stage as well, so he knows what it’s like. He’s been great, he has helped me, he has pushed me as well and given me opportunities to play, which is the main thing.” 

Having spent last season on loan in League One with Ipswich, McGuinness says playing in the Championship has not been a “massive step up” despite the team’s struggles, which have prompted McCarthy to deny that he has lost the dressing room.

“With the Championship, games come quickly and you can’t be dwelling on losses. It’s a long, long season. We are fortunate enough to have Mick, who has been through all of it. So he has been helping us, him and his experience. 

“We’ve got older players in there as well. The mood is great. We don’t like losing, but at the same time, we can’t be dwelling on losses or a bad run, because you are going to go on a bad run. But we’ve had a break now and hopefully, we can get back on track.”

McGuinness was grateful too that the club permitted him to travel for Tuesday’s clash with Montenegro, despite prior doubts over whether the defender, as well as several others, could go, with the country being on the UK’s red list.

“It was after the game, we all found out that we were eligible to come over, which was great news. We knew there were going to be problems, it’s Covid and it’s never straightforward at the moment. But we were not worried about that. What was going to be, was going to be. But once we found out after the game, it was good news.

“[Mick] knows what it’s like to be in the set-up. We’ve got guys as well there, they head up all the Covid stuff, so they were liaising with the club as well, but thankfully everything was smooth.”

McCarthy is not the only Ireland legend McGuinness has the benefit of learning from.

Former Manchester United defender John O’Shea is part of the coaching set-up with Ireland U21s and he is another figure that the 20-year-old looks up to.

“It’s fantastic to have someone of his stature in the coaching staff here. He played in a similar position to me, which helps as well. It’s a good experience and the way he deals with the players is fantastic. It’s great to have him on board as well as Jim and everyone else in the coaching staff.”

“We always split up and do our unit work. He takes up the defensive units. He’s always there and he’s great to talk to, he’s approachable. So we are just picking his brains, learning from the experience he’s had – on the pitch and around the hotel as well.

“He has played with some unbelievable players and against some unbelievable players. We’ve always looked up to someone like John.

“If I could have a career like him I’d be doing well.”

The respect among the coaching staff, it seems, is mutual, as Jim Crawford offers plenty of praise when asked about McGuinness.

“I think he’s a fantastic player, I really do. I saw him a long time ago, he was with Arsenal and, at the time, he came in with Collie O’Brien’s 17s — they played over in the UK in a friendly game against Wolverhampton Wanderers — and he stood out then.

“He had a lot of injuries since that. But I think that shows his character with where he has come from to where he is now. He’s heavily involved with Cardiff’s first team. But he brings loads to the group, he’s a real leader, he drives training sessions like a lot of other players.

“I just think you notice with players when they’re not around. And when he wasn’t around last month, you sort of knew he was missing compared to what he’s doing now.

“And it’s everything, talking to the group, even the new players that are here, he’s in around them. He’s got a real level of maturity that is well beyond his years. He’s certainly a player who is always willing to learn, always asking questions and I think he’s got a really bright future ahead of him. He’s a very grounded individual too which is very important.”

And while centre-back is an area where Ireland are blessed with an abundance of options, Crawford feels McGuinness has the potential to rise to that level.

“If Stephen goes through, god forbid, injuries with the senior team, there is every possibility he could go in. He’d be a loss in the group, but as I keep saying, if he was to be promoted to the senior team, I think that’s a success with the 21s.”