Recently promoted Notts County are being linked with a shock move for the signature of Derby County striker David McGoldrick in what would be a statement signing for the club, according to The Star.
Veteran striker McGoldrick, who scored 25 goals in 45 games in all competitions for the Rams last season, is out of contract at the Pride Park outfit with a contract extension on the table, with Notts County interested in pushing for his signature in what would be a return to the club after coming through the youth ranks at Meadow Lane.
Who is David McGoldrick?
Born in Nottingham and coming through the youth ranks at Notts County as a youngster, striker David McGoldrick would go on to make four appearances for the club’s first team in 2004, before being snapped up by Southampton at the age of sixteen.
In a five-year spell between 2004 and 2009, McGoldrick would appear 75 times in total for the Saints, scoring 15 goals in a spell that also included a loan back to Notts County, as well as AFC Bournemouth and Port Vale.
Upon leaving Southampton in 2009, McGoldrick would end up making a return to Nottingham, this time, to sign for Nottingham Forest in a deal worth around £1 million with the striker putting pen to paper on a four-year deal at the club.
During his time at the City Ground, the 35-year-old would pull on the red shirt of Nottingham 73 times which he also managed to find the net on nine occasions, in a spell in which McGoldrick also had loan spells at Sheffield Wednesday, Coventry City and Ipswich Town.
It would be with the Tractor Boys where McGoldrick made his name, signing for the club permanently in the summer of 2013 after spending the second half of the 2012/23 season on loan at Portman Road. Over five years at Ipswich, the 14-capped Republic of Ireland international became a household player with the club, making 159 appearances in total and scoring 45 goals between 2013 and 2018.
Leaving Ipswich at the end of his contract in 2018, Sheffield United would be next to take a swoop at the experienced striker. In four years at Bramall Lane between 2018 and 2022, McGoldrick would go on to make 136 appearances and scored a total of 30 goals as he helped the Yorkshire outfit earn promotion to the Premier League.
After the expiration of his contract at the Blades in 2022, McGoldrick would drop down to League One to sign for recently relegated Derby County in which in his first season at the club, the 35-year-old would go on to hit 25 goals in 45 appearances as the Rams narrowly missed out on a place in the playoffs, finishing seventh in the regular season.
Not here to mess around
Notts County, alongside Wrexham who were also promoted from the National League with the Magpies after a fierce battle for the only automatic spot all season, will be looking to build on their momentum as both of them get ready for their first season back in the Football League.
Even though Wrexham are yet to complete a signing so far, Notts County has already gotten down to business, with their first signing coming in the shape of midfielder Will Randall from Sutton United.
David McGoldrick returning to Meadow Lane would be sure to be a landmark signing for the club if it was to happen after a 25-goal season for Derby County in League One, with the potential opportunity to partner up with Macauley Langstaff who bagged an impressive 41 goals in 45 appearances himself last season to help Notts County win the playoffs.
Writer’s View
It’s clear to see the future of David McGoldrick is very much up in the air in which I feel Derby needs to do everything to keep him following an excellent campaign last time out.
However, if Notts County were to pull off the signing of the 35-year-old veteran, it would most likely be the transfer of the summer so far and would signify a real statement of intent for the Meadow Lane outfit to keep building and progressing.
McGoldrick, alongside 41 goal striker Macauley Langstaff, has the potential to be one of the deadliest frontlines in not just League Two, but the whole EFL if the transfer of the former Republic of Ireland international comes to fruition.
