Frankie says relax: who is new City signing Frankie Maguire?
The lowdown on City's new recruit
York’s second addition to the squad since winning promotion back to the football league is attacking midfielder Frankie Maguire from Boston United. What can City fans expect from the 22-year-old, and where might he fit into our system?
Frankie Maguire came through the Sheffield United youth system, impressing enough in the lower age group teams to make his way into Chris Wilder’s matchday squad for a handful of Premier League games in the 2020/21 season at the age of 17. He never made it onto the pitch for the Blades’ senior team, though, instead spending the next few seasons on loan at a series of non-league outfits.
Maguire’s first loan was at Bradford Park Avenue, where he made 7 appearances for the National League North side in 2021/22, including playing in their 3-0 win over York at the LNER where he teed up the final goal. The following season saw a successful stint at Kettering Town, where Maguire scored 4 goals in 14 games. The first half of 2023/24 was spent in a fairly unremarkable loan spell at Chester where he struggled for game time, but a further loan at Chorley from January was more productive as he started regularly for the Magpies as they made the National League North playoffs.
It was at his next port of call that Maguire would begin to make a name for himself as a top prospect, though: following the expiry of his contract at Sheffield United, he was signed by newly-promoted Boston United ahead of their first season back in the National League. He made a bright start for the Pilgrims - City fans may remember his standout performance in their 2-0 win at York in August 2024 - but the season was a struggle for Boston, and relegation looked likely as they were 10 points from safety in late January. Under new manager Graham Coughlan, however, they pulled off a great escape, with Maguire playing a key role in the late season resurgence that saw them survive: he scored some crucial goals including a fine strike from outside the area in a 3-0 win over Southend, plus a brace in a relegation six-pointer against Wealdstone. Maguire finished the season with 6 goals and 5 assists.
The 2025/26 season would be even more fruitful for Maguire at Boston, as he contributed 8 goals and 9 assists: an impressive tally considering that he missed the first third of the season through injury. Again, the Pilgrims were in the relegation mix at the halfway stage of the season, but the arrival of Paul Hurst as manager led to another impressive run of form that ultimately saw them finish well clear of danger in 12th. Maguire was again key, hitting a fine vein of form after Hurst’s arrival in January, with highlights including having a hand in all 3 goals in a 3-3 draw with Southend (scoring one and setting up two for a certain Lenell John-Lewis), and claiming a first-half hat-trick of assists in a topsy-turvy 6-3 win at Scunthorpe. He ended the season on a hot streak, with 5 goals in his last 10 starts, and while Boston offered him a new contract it was expected that there would be interest from bigger clubs.
Maguire’s arrival at York has not come completely out of leftfield - we even raised him as a potential signing in our end-of-season review pod - but he will face a good deal of competition for a starting place. He has almost certainly been recruited as an option for one of the two attacking midfield roles (the 10s or the 8s, depending who you ask), so will be jostling for a start with the likes of Banks, Pearce, Grey, Newby and Olley. While naturally right-footed, he is comfortable with both feet and his heat map from last season at Boston shows him popping up in a wide range of attacking positions.
The qualities Maguire will bring to York include an ability to make incisive passes in the final third, as well as a talent for delivering accurate crosses. This could be ideal for providing service to Josh Stones in the air, as Ollie Banks’ deliveries from the right did last season. He also offers energy and a high workrate, so should be able to make a contribution to City’s efforts to press the opposition high up the pitch. Lastly, Maguire will be hoping to chip in with a fair few goals - he is not afraid to shoot from distance and his goal return of 8 from just 25 starts last season reflects his confidence finishing chances.
Having not yet played a minute of football above non-league, the challenge for Maguire will be to show that he is capable of making the step up. But the potential he has shown at Boston, along with the fact that at 22 he should still be developing, gives cause for optimism that he could play a big part for City over the next few seasons.