Grimsby Town could look to Scotland to repeat 2021 signing that had 12-month legacy | OneFootball

Maguire-Drew made a huge impact during his year-long stay, and the Thistle man has the ability to make a similar impact at Blundell Park.

As the new year approaches, attention begins to turn to the upcoming January transfer window and what areas Grimsby Town boss David Artell will look to change, alter and add to his competitive but inconsistent Mariners side.

The winter window is a notoriously difficult one to do business in, but there's a strong possibility there will be some incomings and outgoings at Blundell Park as the former Gibraltar international looks to fine-tune a squad that has achieved and frustrated in equal measure thus far.

One position Artell may want to bolster is out wide, where the Mariners currently have limited options to naturally carry out the requirements of the role.

Icelandic international Jason Dadi Svanthórsson is taking time to settle into his new surroundings, while fellow wideman Charles Vernam continues to struggle with fitness issues.

Youngsters Luca Barrington and Jayden Luker, on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion and Luton Town respectively, can and have filled in on the wings, but both have looked far more comfortable and impactful when operating centrally.

Artell's men are struggling to create, and the lack of genuine width and supply is proving a stumbling block. Freeing up Barrington and Luker to play in the middle, getting around and beyond striker Danny Rose, who has cut an increasingly isolated figure of late, while bringing in a natural winger with the attributes to open up opponents from wider areas could kill two birds with one stone.

Grimsby don't have to look too far back in their recent history for the type of player they are after. One who is able to offer a moment of quality and ingenuity. One that offers something a little different at key times.

Jordan Maguire-Drew was only at Blundell Park for a year between 2021 and 2022, and he didn't always start games, but his ability to change a game through his creative flair, vision and delivery saw him leave a memorable legacy in a Grimsby shirt.

That's the type of player the Mariners and Artell need now, and the solution could come from looking north of the border.

The Mariners possess many technically gifted players, able to move the ball quickly and spot incisive passes.

They don't, however, boast many with the ability to beat their opponent with trickery and guile, and a wildcard option like that could make the difference in the second half of the campaign.

Aidan Fitzpatrick is that type of player, one who can beat his man both inside and out, while then having the composure to pick the right, defence-splitting final ball.

The Glaswegian began his career at Partick Thistle in 2017, and, after having a spell in the academy side of Norwich City, who paid a reported £350,000 for the youngsters' services in 2019, and fellow Scottish Championship side Queen of the South, returned to his boyhood club in 2022.

Now 23 years old, the winger has marked himself out as one of Scottish football's brightest talents outside the top flight, and while his previous move to England didn't work out, Fitzpatrick is now more seasoned and experienced, and, perhaps, ready to take the next step in his career.

Similar to Maguire-Drew, the Partick man can change a game in an instant. A bundle of tenacious creative energy, who predominantly operates on the left, Fitzpatrick could add another dimension to Artell's squad, providing the X factor required to prise open stubborn opposition defences.

A player who gets fans off their seats, the Thistle man will have caught the eye of plenty with his form since his return to Firhill Stadium. A fee would be required, as the wide player is contracted to the Jags until 2026. He could be a smart long-term investment, however, and may be just what Artell and Grimsby are looking for in January.

Maguire-Drew had a fantastic year with Grimsby

27-year-old Maguire-Drew has led a somewhat nomadic career on the whole, but his 12-month stay at Blundell Park was certainly profitable for player and club alike.

Starting out as a youngster at Brighton, the winger enjoyed loan spells with the likes of Worthing, Dagenham & Redbridge, Lincoln City, Coventry City, and Wrexham, before signing for Leyton Orient on a permanent basis in January 2019, helping them to the National League title later that year.

After two years at Brisbane Road, and following short spells with Crawley Town and Woking respectively, Mariners boss Paul Hurst swooped to sign the free agent in late 2021, adding his creative talent to his National League squad looking to bounce back to the EFL at the first time of asking after suffering relegation the season prior.

It worked out brilliantly, with Maguire-Drew often coming up with big moments, and changing the course of matches from the bench with regularity.

Ultimately, Grimsby made the play-offs, where the former Orient man's contributions were vital in their memorable success.

Coming on as a substitute in the quarter-final at Notts County, Maguire-Drew's last-gasp free-kick led to the Mariners equaliser, while his introduction from the bench in the final saw him grab the extra-time winner over Solihull Moors to seal their redemption.

The Crawley-born player also scored his side's first goal on their return to the Football League, netting a late equaliser against Northampton Town in Grimsby's first home game of the 2022/23 campaign.

Eventually, however, Maguire-Drew fell out of favour at Blundell Park, and left for Yeovil Town, initially on loan, at the end of 2022.

The talented winger has subsequently moved on to Barnet, and now plies his trade with sixth-tier Weymouth.

He left a wonderful legacy at Blundell Park, however, and it's one that Partick's Fitzpatrick could recreate if the Mariners take a chance on the Scotsman in January.