David McGoldrick has called for Sheffield United to be given the respect they deserve after making an encouraging start to life in the Premier League following promotion.
Dismissed as a team of journeymen even before they secured their place in the top flight, the unfancied Blades have opened a few eyes during the early weeks of the campaign to head into the international break sitting in 10th place in the table after Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Chelsea.
Asked if they had surprised a few people, McGoldrick rounded on their critics with BBC pundit Garth Crooks in particular caught in his sights after the former Tottenham striker described their approach as “quite basic”.
The Republic of Ireland international said: “Yes, I think we have and I still think we are getting our critics.
“I saw Garth Crooks talking the other day, saying that we were down and we’re rubbish and he hadn’t seen anything. I haven’t got a clue what he took that morning, but he needs to think.
“We’re not ordinary, we play a different way, a different style. We’ve come with the same philosophy that we used in the Championship and we need to get the respect for that. We haven’t changed for anyone and we’ve got a few results.
“Listen, it’s going to be a long season, we are going to have ups and downs, there are going to be games where we get beaten and walk off the pitch and we are just going to have to hold our hands up.
“But at home, we can give teams a lot of problems, and I think we will see that throughout the season.”
McGoldrick’s move to Bramall Lane in July last year after a successful trial has seen him rebuild his career to the extent that the 31-year-old is all but an automatic choice for Ireland, who face Switzerland in a Euro 2020 qualifier at the Aviva Stadium on Thursday evening.
Prior to his Blades switch, he was left wondering what the future might hold for him following his release by Ipswich with options in short supply.
He said: “If I’m honest, a year ago looking at it when the phone wasn’t ringing, playing in the Premier League looked a long way off.
“But I always would have had confidence in myself. I always would have felt that once I got myself sorted, I could hit a bit of form, and I did that.
“I’m here now, I’m thankful for it and that’s why I don’t want to stop now.
“Getting back into the Ireland set-up, being a Premier League player, I don’t want it to stop now because this is what I’ve been aiming for all through my career.”
