David McGoldrick addresses his Barnsley future - plus why Conor Hourihane deserves respect
TALISMANIC Barnsley striker David McGoldrick says that he would like to stay on at Oakwell next season – but has confirmed he is yet to hear anything from the club regarding whether a deal will be offered.
The former Sheffield United forward has been a revelation in his time with the Reds and has netted 18 goals so far this term.
The 38-year-old, who has missed the club’s last two matches with a hamstring issue – is working on his fitness with the hope of being in contention for Saturday’s derby with Bradford City.
McGoldrick signed a one-year deal with Barnsley last summer – linking up with ex-Derby County and Ireland team-mate David McGoldrick - and is out of contract in June.
Announcing his intention to carry on playing, he said: “I've had this little (scoring) patch. I've got myself back to where I want to be and it would be silly for me to stop now.
"A little break in the off-season and I’ll see what it is. If it's Barnsley coming to the table or anything else.
"But it's got to be right. I'm not doing it just for the sake of playing.
"I like it here. It's easy to get to from home. I've got great respect with all the staff, everyone around the building. It's good.
“I think scoring 15 in the league, 18 all together, I think it would be a bit daft for me to step away.
"I'm as fit as anyone. I haven't lost my pace because I had no pace. So, it's all in the mind.”
On whether he has been spoken to by the Oakwell hierarchy, he continued: "I would, but I haven't heard nothing. I haven't been told nothing. It's been quiet.
"I think the club have wanted to get into a position where they can speak to players. There's a lot of people out of contract.
"I'm just being one of them. I'm just a player in this club and I haven't heard nothing. I haven't been spoken to.
"As far as I take it, I've got two, two and a half weeks left or whatever it is.”
McGoldrick says he has thoroughly enjoyed working with his good mate Hourihane and believes that the young Reds head coach deserves to afforded considerable respect for the job he has done in a transitional time at Oakwell.
The frontman added: “It probably couldn't get more difficult in terms of what he's had to deal with.
"He comes out in the press and he puts on a brave face about this and about that. Obviously, knowing I'm his mate – he doesn’t tell me everything but he tells me a few things and things that have been going off.
"He's had to put up a lot of stuff, staff leaving, players leaving, not getting certain things that he would want in terms of recruitment.
"So many things have gone on. It's his first full job.
"You think that you want to come in and be coaching and doing certain things just as a head coach but I think he's been put into the fire in terms of - not his fault, not the club's fault - just with things that have just gone off. I felt he's dealt with it.
"He's always been positive around the place and meetings that he does. His attention to detail on each team is brilliant and I've got no doubt he's going to have a successful career in the game as a manager because the way he wants to play, his passion for it, his fire for it and he loves the club as well.”