Player Profile

One of a group of elite academy players Swindon ‘took over the contracts of’ in January 2024 when under restrictions preventing them from paying transfer fees, McGurk was highly rated as a youngster at Leeds, having joined from Wigan as a teenager, but chose to step down to League Two in search of first team football. An attacking midfielder or winger, McGurk stood out for his technical ability and control of the football, but like many players stepping up to men’s football in his position, his challenge will be to find consistency and regularly impose himself on physical League Two matches. If he can, he has the potential to play at a much higher level.

McGurk made his debut off the bench at Newport before a first start at Gillingham ten days later, a game in which he opened the scoring by showing off his ability with both feet: played through on the break, his right-footed dribble sent the Gillingham defenders one way before he cut inside on his left and lifted the ball into the top corner. His second goal later in the month against Tranmere was similar - dribbling with his right before cutting inside a defender and finishing left footed with an admirable amount of composure for a youngster making his first steps in professional football.

After a very bright start in red and white, McGurk’s season petered out a little: he played nine games across the second half of the season, but didn’t complete the 90 minutes in any of them, and dropped out of the eleven in the back part of the season with Gavin Gunning preferring a central two of Austin, Drinan or Glatzel to the three man attack that McGurk most naturally slots into the left of. There were some rumours of a falling out behind the scenes, but McGurk signed a new contract at the end of the 23/24 season to keep him in SN1 for a second season.

Playing Record

Senior

Career details

Club	Details
Liverpool Liverpool	(youth) ; released (2016)
Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic	(unattached) cs 2019 (youth scholarship); transferred out (July 8th, 2021)
Leeds United Leeds United	July 8th, 2021 (transferred in, undisclosed fee); transferred out (February 1st, 2024)
Swindon Town Swindon	February 1st, 2024 (transferred in, undisclosed fee)