Derby County hit the jackpot when swooping to sign player leaving Sheffield United | OneFootball

David McGoldrick has been a goalscorer during his entire career, and has been prolific throughout.

David McGoldrick has been a goalscorer during his entire career, and has been prolific throughout.

At Derby County, that was elevated to another level completely, as the Rams swooped in and hit the jackpot with a free agent transfer for the striker.

His one-season stay at Pride Park has to be remembered fondly as an incredible free agent signing.

Derby County hit jackpot with 2022 Sheffield United signing

After close to 140 games in Blades colours, McGoldrick made the switch from red and white to white. He netted 30 times at United, but almost matched that same tally in a much shorter span at Derby.

The former Ipswich Town, Nottingham Forest and Coventry City attacker joined County in the summer of 2022 and went on to produce a stellar return.

McGoldrick, now 37 years old, scored 25 times in just 45 games, adding seven assists along the way as well.

It was a superb season for McGoldrick, as he almost led Derby to the Sky Bet League One play-offs. The Rams missed out by one place and one point in the final standings, but goals from their talisman were the reward for a great piece of recruitment.

Leaving Bramall Lane after four seasons, two of which came in the Premier League after promotion into the top tier, McGoldrick showed his class and proved his worth in the third tier.

Across 39 league games, he scored some 22 times. That came alongside three goals in cup competitions, as only promotion-winning Ipswich’s Conor Chaplin and Jonson Clarke-Harris from play-off semi-finalists Peterborough United (both 26) netted more in League One.

McGoldrick was the only player in the division to record multiple hat-tricks that season, picking up the match ball three times: in big wins over Bristol Rovers, Forest Green Rovers, and Morecambe.

Exiting Notts County star David McGoldrick still providing the goods

He was a one-season wonder at Derby, moving on to hometown club Notts County at the end of the campaign. His goalscoring form and undeniable quality remained, though he has not managed to reach the absolute pinnacle he achieved at Pride Park.

He scored 13 times in the 2023-24 campaign, before lifting his contributions to 17 goals in the most recent season. That has come at the end of his tenure, with a new contract rejected by the still hungry striker.

An injury may have dampened his final act in a Notts County shirt, as he missed the return leg of the club’s play-off semi-final defeat to AFC Wimbledon, but he has continued to prove his worth in front of goal.

Even if his tenure back in Nottingham is more present in the mind, there is no doubting the incredible feat that saw him move to Derby beforehand.

It was a magnificent piece of business for Derby to recruit such a talented striker on a free transfer. And, even in their wildest dreams, surely the County higher-ups would not have believed that the ex-Republic of Ireland international could score more than 20 goals across the campaign.