After an eventful decade or so, Ipswich Town have returned to the Premier League for the first time since 2002, and it’s fair to say that there have been plenty of ups and downs in the last couple of years.
The Tractor Boys spent 17 consecutive years in the Championship between 2002 and 2019 before they were relegated to League One.
During those 17 years in the second tier, plenty of quality players came and went at Portman Road, perhaps none more so than David McGoldrick.
The Republic of Ireland international striker joined the Tractor Boys in 2013, initially on loan from Nottingham Forest, before joining on a permanent basis that summer.
Over the course of the next five years, McGoldrick would become a modern-day legend at Portman Road, and it’s fair to say that the Irishman won’t be forgotten in a hurry.
David McGoldrick was excellent for Ipswich Town
In January 2013, Ipswich, who were led by Mick McCarthy at the time, pounced to sign McGoldrick on loan following his loan spell at Coventry City during the first half of the season.
He scored four times for the Tractor Boys during the second half of the season, doing enough to earn a permanent move, joining on a free transfer after his deal with Forest came to an end.
His first full season at Portman Road was a huge success, and he bagged 16 goals in 34 appearances, nearly a goal every other game, as he helped his side finish ninth in the Championship table. His form saw him win the Championship Player of the Month award for September 2013, and he won Ipswich’s Player of the Year award – vindicating the club’s decision to sign him on a permanent basis.
The following season saw McGoldrick suffer from injuries, but he still managed to find the back of the net on seven occasions as his side reached the Championship play-offs, and he also received a call-up to the Republic of Ireland squad for the first time, qualifying thanks to an Irish-born grandfather.
McGoldrick suffered from injuries yet again during the 2015/16 campaign, only playing 27 times for Ipswich, where he scored five times, and it was a similar story the following season as he scored five times in 31 appearances.
The 2017/18 season was McGoldrick’s final one in Suffolk, and despite playing just 24 games, he managed to score eight goals, a record of one goal every three games.
With his contract ending that summer, it was announced that McGoldrick would leave Portman Road after a five-and-a-half year spell where he scored 45 goals and registered 25 assists in 159 appearances.
David McGoldrick’s career after leaving Ipswich Town
After leaving Ipswich in the summer of 2018, McGoldrick linked up with fellow Championship side Sheffield United after a successful trial period, signing a one-year deal at Bramall Lane.
The move couldn’t have gone much better for the striker, and he scored 15 times for the Blades as they won a surprise promotion to the Premier League, and the Irishman became a Premier League player for the first time in his career.
The Blades took the Premier League by storm, finishing ninth in their first season, but the 2020/21 season saw their bubble burst, and they were relegated after finishing bottom. McGoldrick scored ten goals in 63 Premier League appearances across the two years, but his final season at Bramall Lane saw him score just twice in 21 appearances before he joined League One side Derby County.
Despite his age, McGoldrick thrived at Pride Park during his one season as a Derby player, and he scored 25 goals in 45 appearances, but was unable to help them win promotion.
In the summer of 2023, the Irishman returned to home club Notts County in League Two on a two-year deal, and he finished with a respectable return of 13 goals in 39 appearances.
| David McGoldrick’s career by number of appearances – Transfermarkt | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Club | P | G | A |
| Ipswich Town | 159 | 45 | 35 |
| Sheffield United | 136 | 30 | 12 |
| Southampton | 75 | 15 | 3 |
| Nottingham Forest | 73 | 9 | 5 |
| Notts County | 49 | 13 | 5 |
| Derby County | 45 | 25 | 7 |
| Coventry City | 25 | 17 | 2 |
| Port Vale | 18 | 2 | 2 |
| Bournemouth | 12 | 6 | 1 |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 4 | 1 | 0 |
At the age of 36, McGoldrick still has another season contracted to the Magpies, and he’ll be looking to help soften the blow of Macaulay Langstaff, who recently departed for Millwall.
Despite playing for a number of clubs since his senior career began in 2004, the 159 appearances he made at Ipswich remain the most he made for any club, whilst the 45 goals he scored at Portman Road hasn’t been topped at any other club.
Ipswich are now preparing for the top-flight of English football while McGoldrick is playing at the other end of the pyramid, but thanks to his five-and-a-half year stay in Suffolk, he certainly won’t be forgotten in a hurry.
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