 He was not taken on as a scholar by first team manager Peter Shilton and dropped into Non-League football to sign for local South Western League club St Austell.McGhee joined Second Division club Brentford on trial in 1993, after the club responded to a contact request from his father.He signed a professional contract with the Bees in April 1994 and received his maiden call into the first team squad for a Football League Trophy first round match versus Brighton & Hove Albion on 19 October that year.