I hid amongst Sheffield United fans for derby win v Wednesday - and can see similarities to my promotion squad
David McGoldrick offers Sheffield United promotion verdict after incognito Bramall Lane return for derby victory
As they battled their way through the crowds and queued at the turnstiles, unsuspecting Sheffield United fans would have no idea that they were shoulder-to-shoulder with a former Bramall Lane favourite ahead of the Steel City derby against Wednesday. “I had my hood up, a snood around my face and sunglasses on, going through the crowd,” laughed David McGoldrick.
“I was there as a fan and it was great to witness what goes on before the game. Normally, you just go to the main entrance and go straight in, but I was in the crowd, around the atmosphere, and it was good – 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. I love that club.”
If any fan happened to see through McGoldrick’s disguise and recognise him, that feeling would have been reciprocated. The forward signed on a free after being released by Ipswich Town but became a real crowd favourite in South Yorkshire, helping them into the Premier League in his first season and then being part of a fairytale European push that was only eventually derailed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
McGoldrick, now 37, is back where it all began at boyhood club Notts County but keeps a close eye on events at his beloved former side, with the man who brought him to the club back in 2018 back in charge and looking to mastermind another Premier League promotion.
“Sheffield United is Chris Wilder – he is that club,” McGoldrick told The Star, via EFL sponsors SkyBet. “He loves that club, and he would never sacrifice anything to sacrifice the club. He puts his heart and soul into it, as do the coaching staff. They know the club, they know the fans, they know what it means. Everything that epitomises Sheffield United is Chris Wilder. He's a great coach, a great man, and a great manager as well.”
McGoldrick’s class of 2018/19 will have a special place in the hearts of Blades fans who were around to witness that special time but the current crop of Blades are looking to make some history of their own, after overcoming last season’s difficult top-flight campaign to climb to the top of the Championship after a remarkable summer turnover of players.
Last Friday’s victory over Sunderland at Bramall Lane sent United two points clear of second-placed Burnley and without their summer two-point deduction for non-payment of transfer funds the gap would be even wider. "I do see similar traits between the current side and the one I was part of in 2018/19,” McGoldrick added. “They are very solid and don't concede many goals.
“They brought in a top goalkeeper [in Michael Cooper] and they've got some good players; Gus Hamer, Callum O'Hare. I've played with Kieffer Moore – he's a good striker. They’ve got Tyrese Campbell, and they've got some youth in there that's coming through the academy, which the fans love. The likes of Ollie Arblaster and Sydie [Peck] – they're doing well. They're a good team, and they'll be top two, hopefully, this year.”