"I want to win a championship. I want to be able to raise a trophy and say I won a championship with Orlando City."
Those were Duncan McGuire's first thoughts after officially inking his new contract with the Lions. After just over 18 months of success, the forward drafted sixth overall in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft has committed long-term to the team that believed in him from the start.
That trust has been a key factor in McGuire’s development and belief as a player.
"It definitely just builds confidence for me," McGuire told OrlandoCitySC.com. "The fact that they have that trust and faith in me goes a long way. It's something that means a lot to me, and I hope I can repay the favor and continue doing what I've been doing."
McGuire's been a goal-scoring machine since making his Lions debut on March 11 of last year. Scoring 13 goals in his rookie campaign, the Creighton University product has notched seven goals thus far in the season. Part of why he's been so successful over the last year-and-a-half comes down to not only his skill, but his mentality when it comes to approaching the game. He knows what he's capable of and can score goals; it's just a matter of going out there and doing it.
"If I miss a chance that I've scored that chance like 100 times playing in my backyard in practice, I know I can score it again," McGuire said. "It won't do me any good dwelling on a missed opportunity. I know I can score, so I keep my head on the next play and get into a dangerous position to score again."
Playing with that confidence level has now bolstered McGuire into the U.S. Men's National Team conversation. After getting a January camp call-up, the Lions forward played for the first team in a friendly against Slovenia and most recently was called up for and played with the U.S. Olympic team in Paris.
"I know the system here, and I know I can score goals with Orlando and the system that we play," he said. "If you want to break into the national team as a striker, you have to be known for scoring goals and working hard. So I think in that system for Orlando, I know how to score, and I think that if I keep that up, then I can set myself up to play for the national team more often."
Ultimately for McGuire, he wants to score goals, win trophys and become the best player that he can be, and for him, the best place for him to do that right now is right here in the City Beautiful.
