Standing where some of his heroes have stood, David McGoldrick is back where it all began at Meadow Lane.

Earlier this month, after much speculation, the 35-year-old returned home, turning down a new deal with Derby County in favour of signing for his boyhood Club, newly promoted Sky Bet League Two side Notts County.

“As a kid, I used to watch as a ball boy and I used to clean up the dressing rooms after the games,” he recalls fondly. “I’d watch all the players come down and I’m talking the likes of Nick Fenton, Ian Richardson, Richard Liburd, Mark Stallard, and all those types of players I used to watch when I was a ball boy at the Club.

“It’s been a week since it was announced now and I’m just realising that will be me again, putting on a jersey and doing that.

“It’s come full circle, but the circle hasn’t stopped yet and there’s still a way to go. Walking around the place, thinking about the times when I was here before, it’s crazy. It’s a bit horrible thinking that it was 19 years ago because it makes you feel a bit old!”

The former Rams man was spotted in the stands at Wembley cheering the Magpies on to victory in the National League Play-Off Final.

After overcoming Boreham Wood in a dramatic Semi-Final showdown which County won in extra-time after equalising deep into stoppage time of the 90 minutes, the Club booked a trip to the home of football.

Luke Williams’ men came from behind twice against Chesterfield in the Final, eventually prevailing 4-3 on penalties and win promotion after four years away from the EFL.

“I was at Wembley – me and my friend went to watch them for the day – and it was a crazy game,” McGoldrick says. “I was on the edge of my seat. It was definitely nervy. I went there and there was literally no talk of me coming here; I was just going as a fan. I sat in the corporate bit because someone got me tickets there, so I didn’t get recognised too much.

“I was watching from afar with the promotion chase and it was in my mind knowing that if they got up then it was a real possibility. I wasn’t too sure what I was going to do, but watching the game and watching all the fans, it was a different kind of emotion which might have helped me make my decision even more.”

In any other season, Notts County’s 107-point haul would’ve been enough to secure them the title and then some, but champions Wrexham finished four points ahead of them, and the Magpies had to do it the hard way.

He adds: “Watching the celebrations after and watching all the fans behind the goal buzzing, after four years in the National League, it was just a big relief to get back into the League, I could see the relief on everyone’s faces.”

Prior to joining Derby last summer, he came close to calling time on a career that saw him play at the highest level with former Club Sheffield United.

Released by the Blades after four successful years in South Yorkshire, McGoldrick – who acts as his own agent – felt he was running out of options.

“I got an injury and I was out for four months,” he explains. “I didn’t know how I was going to perform and my phone wasn’t ringing. I got the call from Derby and it was up the road from me. It was perfect for me to go down there and play. The Club is massive and the training ground is brilliant.

“There was a chance I was going to retire, but as soon as I started playing football again, I realised that it was a silly observation of me to think of retiring. That’s the pleasing thing – if I did retire, I wouldn’t be here now. I signed a two-year deal here and I want to play as many games as I can in these two years. Hopefully, age is just a number. If you look after yourself and apply yourself right, there might be a future for me here. Who knows, eh?”

If there’s one thing the Magpies can expect from McGoldrick – better known as ‘Didzy’ – it’s firepower. The prolific forward finished the 2022/23 season with 25 goals in all competitions, ending the term as the Rams’ leading marksman before departing following the expiration of his short-term contract.

He continues: “With the year I had at Derby, it wasn’t an easy decision at all to leave, but I felt it was the right decision. Sometimes, you don’t want to leave somewhere that you’re doing so well. The fans took to me incredibly there. Personally, it was brilliant scoring all the goals. I thought we were destined to be in the Play-Offs, then the last game of the season, for all that to happen, it put a bit of a defeat on it.

“I was just thinking if this would be right for me. Forget the whole the affiliation to the club, is this the best place for me to go and play my football? The answer was yes. In terms of the way they play and what they’re trying to build here and my role in all of that, it was the best place for me.”

After joining the Club at Under-9s level, McGoldrick came through the Magpies Academy. Aged 16, he made his debut for Notts County while still completing his studies at school. The game ended in a 2-1 defeat to Swindon Town in the Second Division as the young striker came on as an 88th minute substitute.

Looking back, it was always in his plans to finish his career at Meadow Lane – the place where it all began for McGoldrick.

“I can’t pinpoint exactly when,” he responds. “Leaving at such a young age and not really getting to play many games but I watched the results throughout all of my career and seeing the rollercoaster over past 10 or 15 years, the highs and lows.

“I always wanted to finish here. Even when I was at the top, I was saying, ‘I’ll finish at Notts.’ As it’s gone on, I thought this could actually be a possibility. It’s fell well. Getting the chance to come back, I didn’t want to look back on it in 10 years’ time and say that I turned down that chance to come back and wear the badge again.”

He returned to Notts County on loan from Southampton during the 2005/06 season for a brief stint, making six appearances before returning to his parent team.

“I was scoring goals for the Southampton youth team and I came back on loan,” he adds. I wanted to come back, but I was too eager at the chance and I don’t think I was ready. We weren’t doing too well. To come back, I was buzzing, but it was tough. I went back to Southampton for a year or so and got my head down and tried to get a bit more physical. I was way off it in terms of being a boy playing in a man’s league.”

In some ways, he feels less pressure compared to when he was last here as a teenager, having ticked off playing in the Premier League off his bucket list, but he knows there will still be a level of expectation.

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“I still feel like if you join a Club you’ve got to prove to the fans that you’re still a good player,” he continues. “Some fans will still be sceptical. People are still sceptical of Messi and Ronaldo; everyone’s got their critics and people that don’t want to sign me or do want to sign me. I’m going to have that here, no doubt about that.

“The more you devote yourself to the game and the harder you work, the more things fall into place for you and the more rewards you’ll get. If you do that then you can sleep well at night. That’s what I’m planning to do.”

It’s been pointed out that McGoldrick has dropped down a division to League Two – where he will play for the first time since his loan spell with the Club back almost two decades ago – to sign for his hometown team, but he’s fully prepared for the challenge.

“If I’m honest, I don’t think about that,” he admits. “I don’t think it’ll be too dissimilar to some of the games I played in League One. There are some really good teams in League Two. I was watching the Play-Off games because I’ve got a friend who plays for Carlisle – Joe Garner – and it’s a tough division.

“It’s demanding and there are lots of games. There are much bigger stadiums than the National League and bigger fanbases and better players. I know all about that.”

Tomorrow marks the EFL Fixture Release Day when Notts County will find out where their season will get underway and the excitement is building ahead of McGoldrick and his new teammates reporting back for pre-season training, but he isn’t looking too far ahead.

He affirms: “If you set yourself targets, you can either make yourself a failure, or once you get to those targets, you take your foot off the gas, but I’m not just coming to a Club that has nothing going for it. I’m excited to be a part of the project. When you think about how big the Club is, they need to be in the EFL and they deserve to be in the EFL.

“Teams won’t be coming here and thinking it’s a lowly National League team that’s just got promotion – they’ll be coming here and playing at a big stadium like Meadow Lane with, hopefully, lots of fans here every week.”

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