[3] McGuigan played junior football for Muirkirk and Bo'ness United, before signing professionally with St Mirren in November 1953.
[5] At St James' Park, he was in and out of the side and was never able to show any consistent form, and after three and a half years was transferred to Scunthorpe United of the Football League Second Division in January 1962 in another exchange deal, with Barrie Thomas coming to Newcastle.
[8] Described as "a tricky, versatile inside-forward",[8] he made his first-team debut at home to Swansea Town on 21 September, scoring twice in a 4–0 victory.
[9] For the remainder of the 1963–64 season, he shared the inside-left position with Dave Burnside and Ian White, scoring eight goals in 21 appearances.
[3] Following the end of his professional football career, McGuigan returned to Southampton to become the licensee of the Swan Hotel in Portsmouth Road, Woolston.