DAVID MCGOLDRICK IS eager to make up for lost time and stake his claim for a place in the Ireland team this week.
The Ipswich Town striker has lined out in just five international matches after an impressive debut against the US exactly two years due to a rotten run of injuries which has hampered his progress with the Boys in Green.
Having sat out a large chunk of last season, Nottingham-born McGoldrick battled back to fitness to earn a starting place in the pre-Euro 2016 friendly with the Netherlands, before coming off the bench three days late in the defeat to Belarus.
However, he didn’t done enough to be named in the 23-man squad for France and was informed by Martin O’Neill after the game that night in Cork.
“It was a low for me, not making the final cut for the squad, but I’ve got to get my head down,” said McGoldrick.
“I always knew that I was an outside chance to make the final cut. I’m a realist — I was up against it to make it. I think I was the last one to be told and it was hard to take but it makes me even more eager.
You know Robbie (Keane) was a legend and with him retiring there might be a space there and I want to be getting in that World Cup squad.
“I’ve had a few injuries at the start of the season and I missed a few trips so I’ve got to impress in training. But there are a few strikers injured for this trip so you never know I might get a few minutes off the bench at the weekend so I have to let them know what I can do.”
As he points out, there are places up for grabs in the striking department with the country’s record goalscorer retired from international football and Shane Long (hamstring) and Daryl Murphy (calf) both missing for Saturday’s World Cup qualifier away to Austria.
That leaves McGoldrick competing with Jon Walters, Adam Rooney, Kevin Doyle and makeshift striker James McClean for a starting berth, with Walters most likely to be selected up front on his own.
“Long has been doing tremendous over the last couple of years and in the last game Murph came on and scored so at the minute they are the strikers really but there are still four good strikers here to choose from,” McGoldrick adds.
He recently sat out two months with an ankle problem picked up on the opening day of the season, but with three games under his belt and a goal to his name, the 28-year-old, who is also comfortable playing in a deeper role, is desperate for another chance to prove his worth.
“I think I can play in a couple of positions — a number nine and maybe a number ten,” he explains. “I played ten but then there were times when I played the whole season as a number nine.
“I feel like I can do both but if I get to put on the jersey, I’ll play any position — there’s no doubt about that.”
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He’s right. And its annoying the way Klopp is treated by the English media like the second coming of Jebus just coz he’s a “right on” guy, but hasn’t actually achieved anything yet
In fairness to Klopp, he has managed to turn a bang average squad into title challengers while maintaining an entertaining style of play.
The high tempo style may cost them in the run in though with tiring legs and all that.
Did he not win the Bundesliga twice and get to a champions league final with Dortmund?
What with one game a week most weeks ?? Behave!
Mark, I think he was talking not achieving anything at Liverpool yet.
Of course Liverpool won,t the league, thats not their thing. Might top league for a couple of weeks then top clubs take over at the business end of things
No $hit sherlock !!!
Only saying what Klopp has already said himself. Would require too many good teams to have extended bad runs as it stands, and with the weaknesses in the squad he inherited. The likes of Matip, Klavern (and even Mane) will be better next season.. But when you see how well some of the new players have integrated already, and then the improvement in for for the like of Lallana, whatever about winning PL titles he’s certainly building a formidable LFC challenge to other contenders….
Next year is Liverpools year
@Irishoversea: don’t know about that but certainly with Klopp at the helm, and extra revenue from 15,000 extra bums on seats there is every possibility that LFC will be consistently contending for major honours over the next couple of seasons.
Reality is only one team can win every year, so even with all the improvements you still need a big dollop of luck (injuries, schedul etc..) to pick up the silverware…
Nothing brings out the idiots better than a Liverpool thread….. Beating there chests when there own team is beating up nobodies, much with the help of terrible officiating…..
“their”
@Aaron Hynes: yes, your right. Great accomplishment.
@William Kavanagh: you’re
ah dave don’t resort to that nonesence
*Nonsense* couldn’t resist!