McGuiness declares debut season at Luton has been his 'toughest' but 'best'

Luton defender Mark McGuinness has described his maiden campaign at Kenilworth Road as both the ‘toughest’ and ‘best’ season of his career to date.

The 24-year-old joined the Hatters from last night’s Championship opponents Cardiff City for what was a club record fee back in August. Signed by former boss Rob Edwards to bolster a defence and help Town towards their aim of returning to the Premier League at the first time asking, things couldn’t have gone more differently, Luton sitting in the relegation zone and facing the real possibility of a drop into League One.

McGuinness, who began at Arsenal before moving to the Bluebirds in June 2021, going on to spend three years with the club, has been a mainstay of the Town back-line since arriving, racking up 33 appearances, and had started every match until injury kept him out of the 2-0 defeat to Watford recently. Although knowing matters on the pitch have been far from ideal, speaking to the club’s official website, the centre half believes it has been a massive learning curve for him, saying: “This has been my toughest season, although probably the best season for me too.

“I’ve learnt so much this season that I know I wouldn't have if I just stayed and just did what I'd been doing for the last couple of years. I’ve seen a great progression in my career and I’m always learning. I'll continue to learn, but in these circumstances and the way the season's gone, it's been my biggest learning curve. I’ll always take positives from it, no matter what happens this season, I've taken so much from this and I will continue to.

"Regardless of whether we were winning every game or losing every game, I’ll always take learning and for me it's been a great season for that. Obviously it’s been very tough and I've had to deal with loads of things and that’s where on and off the field it's been really important to dedicate my time and focus. That side of it has been different, but for me it's been my best season as well.”

Despite matters on the pitch being tough for McGuinness, the Hatters sitting second bottom in the Championship with nine games to go, off the pitch it couldn’t have gone any better, as he continued: “Settling in wise it’s been seamless. I’ve come in, in terms of the area, my family isn't too far away, I’ve got friends around here. I didn’t know any of the boys coming in here, but I immediately felt welcome.

"That’s just the group we have, a real honest group, an amazing group. It’s probably been the most frustrating part about this season as well as the group is amazing on and off the field and we haven’t maximised that. But for me joining the group has been great, it’s been amazing for me and pretty easy.”

Although McGuinness, who has made over 150 appearances in his career, gives off the aura of a player who is far more experienced than he actually is, he is determined to come to the fore during the final stages of the season, adding: “I think people forget that (his age), they probably think I'm 34, I'm 24! There’s pressure that comes with every day life of being a footballer, but for me, moving clubs, coming here there were pressures. I had a clear goal in my head of coming in and doing what I had to do in terms of what I wanted to bring to the team.

"That’s been hard and difficult at some stages, but I’d like to think that I’ve come in here and added to the group, regardless of situations and I’ll continue to do that. We’ve got a real good spirit now to really stick together and this is for me where I like to think I really help the boys. It’s my personality, it’s what I like to do. I enjoy the fight, enjoy the pressures of that, so for me now, for the next seven, eight weeks, it’s a great opportunity for me to really help myself, but also the boys and use my experience and my personality which will hopefully help the team and benefit the team.”