Striker says Coventry City holds a special place in his heart after emphatic loan spell
Striker David McGoldrick has said that Coventry City will always have a place in his heart – wherever his future lies.
The 25-year-old striker is available to face Shrewsbury Town at the Ricoh tomorrow (New Year’s Day) in the last game of his loan spell from Nottingham Forest.
The Sky Blues have been in talks with his club and agent for several weeks in a bid to secure his services on a permanent basis.
With a host of Championship clubs alerted by his 18-goal haul, that possibility seemed to fade, but the sacking of Forest management Sean O’Driscoll and the appointment of Alex McLeish as his successor have left McGoldrick not knowing where his future lies.
McGoldrick has vowed to put that uncertainty behind him tomorrow as City attempt to push closer to the play-off places.
“My time at Coventry has been really special for me,” he said. “I have a massive respect for Mark Robins and everyone at the club. I know they have been doing everything they can to keep me, but at the moment everything is uncertain because of what has happened at Forest.
“Whatever happens – and at the moment I don’t know what will – Coventry will always have a place in my heart.”
McGoldrick returns to the squad tomorrow after missing the 3-2 win at MK Dons through suspension.
“When I first came here, things were very different. Everything was negative and our position in the table was terrible, but we have stuck with it and are reaping the benefits.
“The team really is as one and there are no outsiders at all in the squad which you can get at some clubs. We all know what we should be doing, we all know our jobs – and that has been nailed in to us by Mark Robins.
“The manager has put a lot of trust in me, and I really appreciate that. He was a very good striker and he has helped me become a better player.
“I knew I could score goals and after being out of action for five months with a stress fracture last season I worked really hard to get back in the summer. All I needed was a run of games so I pushed to go out on loan.
“But I had no idea it would go so well with me scoring so many goals and the team breaking records and climbing up the table.
“The support has been fantastic home and away and to take so many to MK Dons was incredible. It cannot have been easy for fans at the start of the season having to get out of bed and come to watch League One football, because they were watching Premiership football not that long ago.
“But they did it, have backed the team and to get 10-12,000 every week has been really good.
“I came to watch my friend Leon Best play in the cup against Chelsea a few years ago and the whole place was buzzing. There is massive potential here and I think recent weeks have shown that again.”