Shropshire Star

Craig MacGillivray is ready to fight for Shrewsbury shirt

Craig MacGillivray is ready to fight to keep hold of the Shrewsbury Town No.1 shirt he covets.

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The ex-Harrogate shot-stopper has his chance to impress boss Paul Hurst at Gillingham tomorrow with Dean Henderson on international duty with England’s under-21s.

MacGillivray made his way through the non-league ranks, while Henderson is on loan from Manchester United. But their vastly different career paths have brought them together, fighting for the same jersey.

Henderson has soon became a fans’ favourite at Montgomery Waters Meadow but MacGillivray, signed on a free from Walsall, is ready to play his part.

“It’s a good rivalry,” admitted the 24-year-old. “It’s healthy competition and we get on. At the same time when we come out to train, while we have a laugh and a giggle, we work hard, improve and push each other.

“But now I don’t want to lose that shirt.

“It keeps you on your toes. Make sure you come in every day and give 100 per cent. If you’re not you could lose your place.

“Sometimes players can get comfortable and sometimes the players behind them can get uncomfortable and there becomes a bit of friction.

“Here, and this is one of the things I like, you’ve got to make sure you’re at it. If you’re not and somebody is doing better, you can lose your shirt.”

Hurst has promised that, once players get the shirt, it is theirs to keep and MacGillivray is looking to use that to his advantage.

The chirpy former Walsall man added: “I hope that if I do well enough then I’ll get a chance.

“If Deano’s doing well then it’s unfortunate for me and I won’t get to play. But at the same time if I’ve been doing well, I’ll be knocking on the door and making sure it’s nothing I’ve done.

“It’s fighting it out. We get on. But neither of us want to be sat on the bench. We want to be playing.”

MacGillivray conceded two second-half goals on his Shrewsbury debut at Coventry in the Checkatrade Trophy on Tuesday night, but Town still left as winners thanks to Joe Riley’s returning heroics.

The much-maligned competition has its critics, but the Ricoh Arena tie was special to Town’s No.15.

“I couldn’t wait to put the shirt on, it was like Christmas come early,” he said.

“Obviously it’s frustrating being on the bench, and it was nice to walk out and play for 90 minutes.

“He’s said from the first game of the season, if you’re in the team, you’ve got the shirt and it’s up to you to try and keep it.

“We’re doing well. Confidence is high.

“It’s frustrating that Deano’s come in as well but I enjoy the environment. The way it’s run and works.”

MacGillivray and his defensive unit will encounter a physical Gillingham attack tomorrow, but he won’t let conceding twice on debut concern him in the slightest.

He said: “The beauty of being a goalkeeper, and I’ve learned this over time, you are human, things are going to hit the back of the net.

“You’ve got to try and minimise the amount of things that do hit the net but the main thing is to be mentally strong and not let it get to you.

“For example if one goes in the top corner, it happens, it’s just being ready for the next one.”