John Caulfield: 'I'm not going to insult the guy - Sean Maguire is not going to a League One club'

Sean Maguire. Remember the name, as the likelihood of this player playing for Ireland in the next few years, based on his current levels of improvement, seems very high.

Earlier this week, it was reported that two English clubs were weighing up bids for the Luton-born, Kilkenny native.

Yet manager John Caulfield tonight in the post match conference said that nothing had been received by the club this week, when questioned by the 42.ie’s Paul Dollery.

The City manager spelt it out clearly that the Kilkenny native won’t be going anywhere until July at the earliest.

And he will be going for the top and not to any League One clubs, in particular, judging by the past rejections.

“He can’t go anywhere until July as his contract is until the end of the season. In July he can go then as the window is open and we can take offers then.

“But at the end of the day I don’t want to insult the guy but League One clubs... he is not going to League One club. He has already had three offers and he has decided not to.

“In the next three months he can’t go anywhere, the most important that he has to do which he has been doing is ignore all the PR because English clubs, from what I have experience of dealing with them, is that as soon as he has a bad game, that he can’t do this and that.”

But the idle speculation across social media and in media will be something that Maguire has to keep himself isolated from.

And Caulfield is happy with how the player has coped while also setting him challenges that should he accomplish it, he will have a very nice contract lined up at the end of it.

“The most important thing he can do is keep his feet on the ground and keep scoring goals for us and keep working for the team. And when the right opportunity arises then, then he has to take it.

“So whenever that is but if it is at the end of the season then he will need 25/30 goals. Everything that happens between now and then is pure speculation.”

When asked by a local journalist Noel Spillane if there is any hope of tying Maguire to a longer contract if the club started negotiations now, Caulfield said that it nearly impossible in this day to do that but is aware the player won’t move unless they get a good offer.

“Money talks, and at the end of the day if a club comes in and gives him a serious wage; we can’t stand in the way of that.

“At the end of the day there could be serious clubs that come in for him and that money is at a serious level. If that happens he goes, if not he stays.

“It’s not about us tying him down for another two or three years. It’s just being practical.”