Chris Maguire interview: Rotherham man talks Sheff Weds exit, Steve Evans' departure and more
Thursday 1 October 2015 07:59, UK
Ahead of Rotherham's clash with Burnley, Chris Maguire talks to Sky Sports about his decision to leave Sheffield Wednesday, swapping shirts with Germany World Cup winner Miroslav Klose and this week's unexpected departure of manager Steve Evans.
Everyone wants to feel wanted by their employers. Footballers are no different. When the day came that Chris Maguire no longer felt wanted by Sheffield Wednesday, he knew it was time to move on.
Maguire had established himself as an integral part of the Owls first-team over the past two seasons, so his decision to reject a new contract to remain at Hillsborough in the summer certainly raised a few eyebrows.
There's no doubting the influence the forward had on Wednesday. Maguire was the club's top scorer two seasons on the trot and accomplished that feat despite playing in an unfamiliar wide role. And with that, it would have been surprising to think the Wednesday hierarchy would not do their utmost to keep a player of Maguire's calibre at the club.
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Maguire rejected terms over a new contract and says he was "let down" by the offer tabled. The sacking of manager Stuart Gray in June proved to be the final straw for Maguire, who decided to run down the remainder of his contract and leave the club on a free transfer the following month.
"It's not that I wanted to leave, it's a fantastic football club and I spent a lot of time there. Over the last year and half, since I was given that opportunity to play, I felt I showed my worth to the team and that I deserved a better contract than what I got offered," Maguire said.
"To not be being played in my own position and still finish top goal scorer for both seasons, I felt I deserved a better deal. But that was not the case and that didn't get offered to me which was really upsetting for myself as I certainly felt that I showed that I wanted to stay there and was a big part of the team.
"Another reason was the manager got the sack. From when I got offered a new deal I was not sure who the new manager was going to be, certain things fell into position and I thought it was time to move on.
"If I got offered the right terms and the right length of contract it would have been a no-brainer to sign straight away, but I felt a bit let down that I was not offered that opportunity to enjoy my summer and see what could have happened over the course of a new season under new management."
From when I got offered a new deal I was not sure who the new manager was going to be, certain things fell into position and I thought it was time to move on
Wednesday loss was Rotherham's gain. The Millers clinched Maguire on an initial one-year deal and he joined fellow ex-Wednesday team-mates Lewis Buxton and Joe Mattock in making the move to the New York Stadium during the close season. In fact, Maguire was one of 15 new faces to arrive at the club this summer as manager Steve Evans sought to build on Championship survival gained last May.
But less than two months into the new campaign, Evans surprisingly walked away from the post he occupied for three and a half years and cited "hurdles" he and chairman Tony Stewart "couldn't get over". Having led Rotherham to two successive promotions, Championship survival and overseeing a summer overhaul of the playing squad, the timing of Evans departure was certainly unexpected. It is an opinion echoed by Maguire.
"It was a shock and I don't think any of the boys saw it coming. But this is out of our hands and we have to deal with what's on the pitch," the Scot said.
"His record shows that he did a great job at the club. I am sure the club and the fans will remember that. From a personal point of view, he has given me that opportunity to come here and play, I will always be grateful for that.
"It's only a couple of months into the season, so I can't let it affect me. I've just got to get my head down, work hard and show the fans why I have been brought to the club."
Before making the move south of the border, Maguire began his footballing journey back in his home country in 2005 with Aberdeen. Then under the guidance of Jimmy Calderwood, Maguire rose through the ranks at Pittodrie and came to prominence by scoring two outstanding goals in a 4-3 Scottish Youth Cup defeat to Celtic in April 2006.
Calderwood would hand Maguire his first team debut little over a month later. His impact was instant, setting up the equaliser for his side to draw 2-2 with Scottish Premiership champions Celtic. It was not long before Maguire established himself firmly in the plans of Calderwood and his influence helped the Dons claim a third-place finish and a spot in the UEFA Cup in his first full season with the first-team.
Qualification to European football's secondary competition ensured a first venture onto the continent for the Dons for four seasons. Having negotiated a passage through a tough group which included Atletico Madrid, Panathinaikos, Copenhagen and Lokomotiv Moscow, Aberdeen were rewarded with a last-32 clash with Bayern Munich.
A 2-2 first-leg draw at Pittodrie ensured the tie remained in the balance ahead of the return match at the Allianz Arena. Maguire, then aged 19, was among the squad that travelled over to Munich and he featured as a second-half substitute as Aberdeen's European journey came to an end, crashing to a 5-1 defeat. Despite the disappointing result, Maguire looks back at the night fondly.
"The whole experience was incredible. Going away to Bayern Munich and playing in the stadium, the Allianz Arena, it's an unbelievable place and the atmosphere was incredible. Some of the players they had playing at the time are still playing for them now and a lot of those players went on and won the World Cup with Germany. It is a big thing in your career to look back on the different players you played against and feel you've played against some of the best," he said.
One moment in particular stands out for Maguire.
"I got Miroslav Klose's shirt. He's Germany's all-time top scorer, so that was a nice shirt to get in the collection. I was really happy with that," he said.
When asked if the shirt took pride of place in his house, Maguire added: "It's actually back at my mum and dad's house. Once I settle down, I'll need to get all the shirts out and look to see if it is one that I want to get framed."
Presently, Maguire's task is to help inspire a third straight victory for Rotherham against Burnley on Friday, live on Sky Sports 5HD from 7.00pm.
Eric Black will take charge of first-team affairs following the departure of Evans and will hope to continue the form which has helped Rotherham recover from a poor start to the new season.
Victories over Cardiff and Birmingham have lifted Rotherham out of the relegation zone and though he is expecting a tough match, Maguire believes his side can spring a surprise against the Premier League hopefuls.
"It will be a hard match as they've just come down from the Premier League. They've been in this league before and have fought their way out of it. I am sure they'll be thinking they can do the same again this season," he said.
"I watched them against Derby and Derby found it very hard to break them down, they were well organised. But with the confidence that we've got at the moment, I don't see any reason why we can't get the three points."
