Barnsley star David McGoldrick has given his opinion on Reyes Cleary’s performances this season after the Tykes were able to hold on to their prized asset.
Blackburn Rovers launched multiple bids to sign the 21-year-old over the January window, but were stifled in their efforts after the Oakwell side set a reported £5 million asking price for the former West Bromwich Albion man.
McGoldrick Reveals Mentoring Process
Speaking to the Yorkshire Post ahead of Barnsley’s midweek clash with Wycombe Wanderers, veteran forward David McGoldrick explained how he has taken a leadership role in Conor Hourihane’s plans.
That position has been further emphasised over the past month following the exit of Davis Keillor-Dunn to Wrexham, and the 38-year-old has stepped up with 10 goals and an assist in his past nine League One matches.
“I always go into each game and visualise scoring. When I’m driving in with my kids on a Saturday, they’re asking me how many I’m going to score.
“I say: ‘I’m going to score two today’. Or they say: ‘Are you going to score one?’ I’ll say: ‘Well, I’ll bring a match ball home for you.’. So I always go with that positive mindset.
“But there’s no figures on how many I want to score at the minute. I want the club to win some games. We’ve got a good run of fixtures coming up where we can get points. And I think that’s down to us as players.”
When discussing Cleary, who was also linked with Sheffield United and Bristol City over the January window, McGoldrick revealed that he has been actively helping the youngster develop his game.
“With Reyes, I’ve gone through individual clips with him. And that’s not me wanting to be a coach. That’s just me wanting to help someone. I see the potential in players.
“If I go into a little bit of detail with Reyes, he wasn’t making the runs in behind as much, but then I was telling him to be more direct.
“it’s not all about ‘YouTube moves’ or step overs on the outside and getting past a man. You need to get numbers, you need to get goals.
“Now he’s a five-million pound rated player. So when they sell him, hopefully I get £4.5 million of that myself!”
McGoldrick Begins Coaching Transition
Now at the grand old age of 38 years old, David McGoldrick is certainly starting to look at his career off of the pitch and has seemingly begun to start coaching with his mentorship over Reyes Cleary.
The Irishman has stated that he wishes to end his career on his own terms, meaning a decision could come relatively soon, but with the way he has played this season, the former Notts County man can continue for at least another few years.
His expertise has seen him play in all four professional divisions of English football, meaning he is arguably one of the best faces in the game to see how the level steps up between divisions, something that will come in handy to a player like Reyes Cleary, who is destined to go much higher in his career.
