Jay McGrath: 'Signing back home for Doncaster Rovers made my family proud'

It's only natural. But the percentage that get to live out that dream is extremely small. For Jay McGrath, he probably thought that his chance to do so had been and gone.

His father John represented the club in the early 2000s, part of the team that made its return to the Football League. The family settled in the area soon after John moved to Rovers, residing in Warmsworth. Jay would eventually get the bug and joined the club's academy at the age of seven but would ultimately end up being one of the many who, for whatever reason, were discarded by the system.

That didn't deter him though and after impressing first in non-league and then over in Ireland, he earned a fairytale return to Rovers at the start of the calendar year. In a wide-ranging chat with the Free Press, the centre-half spoke about exactly what it meant for him to clinch an emotional move back to DN4.

"To come back in January, it kind of felt like a homecoming," he says. "It fills me with pride every time I pull that jersey on.

"Every time I get to represent my hometown club it's a brilliant feeling. When I signed back here, it made my family proud."

Part of the reason Rovers pushed for a reunion with McGrath was the form he displayed at his previous club, Irish top tier side St Patrick's Athletic.

He impressed in a loan spell that was soon made permanent. Playing men's football on a weekly basis was something he craved, after being denied the chance at Coventry City where he spent two-and-a-half years mostly restricted to the under-18s or development teams.

The highlight of his time at St Pat's was undoubtedly the FAI Cup Final when they beat Bohemians 3-1 at the Aviva Stadium in front of a crowd of more than 43,000.

"That was a brilliant atmosphere," he recalls of that match last November. "I think kick-off got delayed by about half-an-hour because of all the flares and smoke bombs. It was surreal.

"When you're playing in those atmospheres, it's just brilliant. It was similar when Donny played Everton earlier this season in the Carabao Cup. You walk out and to hear that noise, it gives you goosebumps. And it made me smile too, because they are the things you dream of as a little boy. You want the big crowds, you want to hear the noise and you just have to embrace it.

"It was brilliant for me and my career, in Ireland.

"It was my first proper taste of men's football on a consistent basis. I did the whole season out there and it was a brilliant time for me. It was intense and made you realise how much three points means. Obviously in academy football jobs aren't on the line, fans aren't in your face every game. Young players need to realise what it means, every single week. Hopefully people can see now that it means a lot to me every single week to win."

Rovers fans have certainly seen that desire shine through, especially this term which has seen him land a first team role after largely playing second fiddle in the latter part of last season.

Whether it's been partnering Tom Anderson or more recently Joseph Olowu, McGrath's attributes make him stand out as someone who could easily ply his trade higher up the food chain.

Indeed, his manager Grant McCann referenced that very possibility earlier this season when he said: "Jay's got all the attributes to be whatever he wants to be."

When delving into his character further, it becomes apparent that his stint over in Ireland did him the world of good, both on and off the pitch.

"I think I matured alot over there," he says. "I went from a young man to a man. I learnt a lot about myself, living away from home. Your mum's not there to cook or wash up after you! You have to grow up in a fast space of time and I think that's stood me in good stead going forward."

Still only 21, McGrath clearly has plenty of room for even further improvement. But right now he can rightly be considered an exciting prospect with bundles of potential. To that end, McGrath senior deserves an awful lot of credit.

"As a kid he was my hero," Jay says of his dad, who is still involved in football as manager on National League North side Buxton.

"I looked up to him - seeing your dad play that level of football was amazing. There was only one thing that I ever wanted to do. I never imagined myself doing anything else because from such a young age I was immersed in football. Then when I started my own career, he'd give me advice when I asked for it but he never put too much pressure on me. If I was going through a rough patch or wasn't really myself, there was never too much pushing me.

"It's such a nice feeling to be able to say I'm a pro footballer and that I'm following in my dad's footsteps."