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Sheffield United favourite hailed as "EFL Berbatov" after stunning strike keeps promotion push on track
Sheffield United fans who watched him week-in, week-out need no reminders of the quality David McGoldrick possesses - but at the tender age of 37, he is still showing it. The Blades cult hero helped United into the Premier League in 2018/19 and then impressed in the top-flight too, after being picked up on a free from Ipswich Town.
After leaving the Lane he secured a return to his boyhood club Notts County - via a spell with Derby County - and is rolling back the years as they look to get out of League Two. Stuart Maynard’s men moved up to fourth after beating MK Dons last night, and are leval on points with third-placed Port Vale and just two off Bradford City in second.
That 3-0 victory saw an absolute stunner from McGoldrick, who cut inside on his left foot before smashing a shot into the top corner of the net. It was his 15th goal in 31 appearances this season, with the veteran keen to prolong his playing career beyond the expiry of his current deal this summer.
“His quality is unbelievable,” said Maynard of McGoldrick. “I think every three points is massive now. As the games start running away, the points are so vital. But we’re very process-driven. It’s all about the performance, and our performance levels have been excellent in probably the last five or six games.
“We haven’t quite got the points we probably deserved as a group, but we’re starting to see now, when you get clean sheets, it breeds confidence, and then all of a sudden, we’re getting the results.”
Unitedites will be delighted to see such a popular figure still doing the business in the lower leagues, with his former strike partner Billy Sharp, now 38, also in the promotion hunt just down the road at Doncaster Rovers, who are fifth in the table with a game in hand on the teams around them in the table.
McGoldrick also keeps a close eye on how the Blades are going on, returning to Bramall Lane as a fan for November’s Steel City derby win over Wednesday. “Coming back really did bring back memories,” he told The Star at the time. I love that club. It brought back a lot of memories of my time there and how passionate the fans are. It's a massive club, and one that I hold close to my heart."
The former Repubic of Ireland international also sees similarities with the current crop of Blades and the side he was part of in 2018/19, when United saw off the challenge of Leeds United to seal their place in the top-flight. “They are very solid and don't concede many goals,” he said. “They brought in a top goalkeeper and they've got some good players.
“And they've got some youth in there that's coming through the academy, which the fans love. The likes of Oliver [Arblaster] and Sydie [Peck] – they're doing well. They're a good team, and they'll be top two, hopefully, this year.”
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