Barnsley backed to take David McGoldrick action - 'he will know when the time is right' | OneFootball

38-year-old David McGoldrick is out of contract this summer but FLW's Barnsley Fan Pundit suggests he should be kept on at Oakwell.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Barnsley sit firmly in the middle-of-the-table in League One under the management of Conor Hourihane, with the Tykes having perhaps frustratingly underperformed thus far.

Their recent 3-2 loss away to Bolton Wanderers, backing up a 2-2 draw with Northampton Town, once again highlighted the fact that they are one of the most entertaining teams in the entirety of the EFL.

In fact, their 27 games in the third-tier thus far have produced 90 goals at an average of over three per game, just further showing how fun they can be with only three teams having scored more than them but two conceding more often, too.

The South Yorkshire outfit have had a lot of attacking quality throughout the season but they are, to an extent, still reliant on veteran attacker David McGoldrick.

David McGoldrick worthy of another Barnsley contract

Having signed at Oakwell on a free transfer in the summer of 2025, after two seasons with Notts County in League Two, David McGoldrick has again proved himself to have a lot of quality for an even higher level, despite his age at 38-years-old.

The former Republic of Ireland international attacker, who scored one goal in 14 caps for his country, has also taken on further importance in the squad after the sale of Davis Keillor-Dunn to Wrexham.

As the end of the season veers into view already, there will be speculation surrounding his future and whether or not he may even retire but FLW’s Barnsley Fan Pundit Andy Symcox believes that he is worthy of another deal.

Andy says: “McGoldrick has been a positive influence at Barnsley Football Club, both on and off the pitch, particularly regarding the younger players at the club.

“He will know when the time is right for him to hang up his boots but still, at 38, and used as sparingly as he is currently, he can still do the business.

“He has appeared for the club 26 times this season so has been used cleverly, but now that Davis Keillor-Dunn has left, he is the club’s top scorer with ten goals.

“For me, having watched him all season and seeing that he still has the desire and the energy for a good chunk, if not all of the match, he would certainly be worth a further one-year contract but, at the end of the day, David will know when the time is right.”

A lot of attacking talent at Barnsley

Despite the sale of Keillor-Dunn to Wrexham, as well as Caylan Vickers returning to Brighton and Hove Albion from his loan deal before ending up at Wigan Athletic, Barnsley still possess quite a lot of depth in the final third.

Alongside McGoldrick, Reyes Cleary was also brought in from West Bromwich Albion for an undisclosed fee, while Scott Banks, Tawanda Chirewa, Tom Bradshaw and Charlie Lennon were further attacking reinforcements in the winter transfer window.

Those names bolstered a final third that consisted of Fabio Jalo, now loaned out, as well as midfielder Adam Phillips, known for his ability to play in a more advanced role.

Despite that depth of talent at Oakwell, Hourihane has still found himself perhaps reliant on the more consistent level of his former Derby County teammate McGoldrick.

There is always chopping and changing at Barnsley, and sticking by a player of such experience may not be their modus operandi as a club but his importance both on and off the pitch, as Andy states, means they should really seek to extend his contract.