Former Arsenal youth makes senior international debut | OneFootball

Former Arsenal academy defender Mark McGuinness made his senior debut for the Republic of Ireland on Sunday, after netting the Gunners a profit over the summer.

Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images

Ex-Arsenal academy centre-back Mark McGuinness made his debut for the Republic of Ireland against England at the weekend, playing the full 90 minutes of the match.

McGuinness had been called up by Ireland in October, and he was in the squad for the first game of the November break against Finland, but he didn’t make it onto the pitch on either occasion.

As a result, Sunday’s start gave McGuinness his first minutes of any kind for the Ireland senior side.

Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images

McGuinness won his spot in the squad with his performances in the Championship for Luton Town, after transferring from Cardiff City in August.

Arsenal profited from that deal, having included a sell-on clause in McGuinness’ contract when he joined Cardiff. According to reports, the Gunners had a 30% sell-on in the deal.

The move was reported to be worth up to £10m, but at least part of that total was comprised of add-on payments.

The Standard claim Arsenal banked around £2m this summer, suggesting the initial guaranteed fee was in the region of £6-7m. If McGuinness meets his add-on targets over the coming years, the Gunners could be in line for another £1m.

Photo via LutonTown.co.uk

Though the add-on targets aren’t known, it’s not uncommon for clubs to include an add-on for international appearances.

Whether or not McGuinness’ Ireland debut makes Arsenal any money, they’ll be pleased to have seen their former youngster now playing international football in a competitive fixture.