Ireland bow would cap Maguire’s perfect year

Two goals and regular starts for Preston in the Championship and a League of Ireland winner’s medal virtually in the post — all Sean Maguire needs now to complete a heady 2017 is to get the nod from Martin O’Neill to play his part in an Irish redemption song as the World Cup qualifying campaign reaches its conclusion.

Born just one month before Jack Charlton’s team played in the 1994 finals in the United States, the 23-year-old striker has hit the ground running on his move to England, something which will have come as no surprise to fans of Cork City who saw him develop into the most complete striker in the country over a couple of seasons at Turner’s Cross.

But should he end up on the pitch on Friday night against Moldova, Maguire will be acutely conscious of the twists and turns of the journey his career has taken to get him to that point.