Swindon Town manager Ian Holloway has confirmed the League One club has a recall clause on midfielder Sean McGurk‘s loan spell at Yeovil Town.

The former Leeds United academy product has extended his initial one-month loan spell at Huish Park until the end of the season having impressed with two goals in his first five matches.

Speaking at his weekly press conference, Holloway said: “I have a call back clause as well, so I have protected us if we get any further injuries. His agent wants him to play, he is enjoying playing every week and in my opinion I said he needs to be the one who is loved and in the team all the time and you have not earned that with me yet and you have not done it for a year.

So he is out there trying to prove he can get some games under his belt. It has gone past the first 28 days, so it makes sense (for him to stay for the season) with us having a recall clause. We have been winning without him, he is out there enjoying it and getting some goals and I am glad he is doing it. I would have lent him anywhere else because this is what the boy needs to do, but if I need him at any time I can call him back.

Having started in the academy at his hometown of Liverpool and then Wigan Athletic, McGurk signed a three-year deal at Leeds United in 2021 and featured heavily in the youth teams at Elland Road.

Holloway said he believed that academies at bigger clubs needed to “get real” with not giving young players enough exposure to men’s football and backed Glovers’ manager Mark Cooper to support McGurk.

The Swindon boss added: “These academies need to get real. Are they making talented people like him too comfortable? It is not about your talent, it is about how you are going to use it. Coops is a wonderful bloke, brought up by his father Terry Cooper who was my manager, so I could not give him to a better person who would believe in him, love him and get him doing what he needs to do.

Leeds have told him, I have told him and was he doing it? No. If Coops can’t get it out of him, maybe we are both right, but I believe he can. I believe there is a really talented, brilliant little player in there if he can get himself fit, live right, train hard and get right without the ball. He needs a run of games and I am not going to guarantee him that.

I have not given him away, I am still retaining him and it is down to him at the end of the day. I know he has loads of talent, he needs to start using it. He has a chance here and if I need him back, I can get him back.


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