'I want to play every minute' - veteran McGoldrick

Image source, Rex Features

Image caption, David McGoldrick has scored six goals for Notts County this season

Notts County striker David McGoldrick says he "treasures" his longevity as a footballer and adds that he still approaches ever match as if he was a newcomer.

The 36-year-old former Republic of Ireland international has made 13 appearances for the Magpies in League Two this season, but has started just three of their past eight matches in the fourth tier.

Notts boss Stuart Maynard says they have been managing the physical demands on the ex-Derby, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield United, Ipswich and Southampton forward.

"He said the word manage, but it's hard. I want to play all the time," McGoldrick told 成人快手 Radio Nottingham. "I'm 36, but in my mind I'm still a young man."

The Nottingham-born forward's zeal for the game after two decades as a professional is not lost on Magpies head coach Maynard.

"We have to hold Didzy [McGoldrick] back," Maynard said. "The enthusiasm he has is still like when he probably made his professional league debut.

"He wants to train every minute of every training session and he wants to play every minute of every game.

"Yes we have to manage his minutes, and we have to mange him - when he starts feeling stuff we have to make sure that it doesn鈥檛 end up becoming a long-term injury."

McGoldrick, who made his professional debut for his hometown club in 2004 before being signed by Southampton, has been used sparingly in recent weeks for that reason.

Still, he has remained an integral figure for Notts - scoring a late equaliser after coming off the bench against Chesterfield before going on to start against Barrow and scoring another late leveller in October.

Maynard says McGoldrick's mentality and passionate desire to be involved in everything is having a positive influence of Notts' younger players.

And while the striker says he is always ready with advice for his team-mates - from leading scorer Alassana Jatta to those emerging from the club's academy - he is just focused on playing.

"I do a bit of mentoring and keep talking to the young lads here and there and give them a telling off sometimes, but that is the dad in me because I have kids of my own who are the age of some of the kids here," McGoldrick added.

"I do like that side, but I'm solely about playing at the minute. You don't know when your last game is, so you want to treasure being a player as much as you can."