Mark McGuinness has hunger to bowl Heimir Hallgrimsson over

Mark McGuinness was ten years old when he signed for Arsenal. As a teenager he was already playing for the Ipswich first team, while representing the Republic of Ireland at Under-19 and U21 level; yet in certain sporting circles, he's just John’s lad, or Tom’s younger brother.

That particular sporting coterie may be played on turf that would not look out of place at the Emirates, yet its participants ply their trade with neither boots nor shin guards, but rather jacks and a mat.

John and Tom McGuinness – Mark’s Dad, a Derry native, and his older brother – are seasoned pros in the world of lawn bowling and similarly ply their trade on the international stage, but both will, no doubt, be happy to share the spotlight with the young Luton Town prospect who is on the verge of making his Ireland debut.

"My Dad plays lawn bowls and so does my older brother, it’s been in the family for a while, in fact my older brother is over in Hong Kong playing at the minute," said McGuinness, speaking to the media after Ireland training on Monday.

"It’s been a big part of my family, a completely different sport to football as you can imagine, but they play at a high level. It’s something that I’m proud of them both, it’s a nice sport to be a part of actually, a nice community and it’s something completely different."

Following his loan spell at Portman Road, McGuinness completed a move back to the Championship to play for Cardiff and three seasons later moved to Luton following their relegation from the Premier League.

McGuinness has impressed in the heart of the Hatters defence this season, with his performances catching the eye of Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson.

The 6ft 4in centre-half was called into the squad for the October