Coaching in China for Manchester City was an eye-opener, admits McGoldrick

The Warriors number two spent ten months developing youth football in the city of Taiyuan as a lead coach with the Premier League side back in 2016. The 47-year-old believes it was an eye-opener and a great experience.

Three years later, and enjoying a second spell at Stenhousemuir as an assistant to Davie Irons, he told the Falkirk Herald: “I knew it wouldn’t have lasted a life time as the family was still back in Scotland. I would have liked to have been out longer, but it didn’t make sense financially.

“I loved it and it boosted me, the whole experience was an eye-opener though. It was a very different culture, both in life and in football.

“I’m from Kirkintilloch and I signed for Dundee when I was young. I felt homesick so I had to get the bus back. Looking back it’s hard to believe I was there, it’s not like China is only an hour up the road!”

McGoldrick believes the move benefitted him as a coach even if it had its challenges.

He said: “I had a Chinese translator who had been in New Zealand for 14 years, and his English was better than mine, so the language barrier wasn’t a big problem!

“When I went out I didn’t have any expectations. I was going into a new environment and I didn’t really know what to expect. I grasped things quite quickly and got on well with the coaches.

“It was an eye-opener. Simple instructions were not so simple, we had to start from scratch. You were coaching as if they were six-year-old and they were 16, but they picked things up quickly.

“They have got the right idea in terms of developing players. It’s massive, every single school has a basketball court and they are trying to get football to take off. The country has a population of 1.6 billion – they should be the best at everything. Eventually they will not be far away.”

McGoldrick believes more Scottish coaches should try their luck abroad and learn from different cultures.

He added: “I would strongly recommend it. I think it changes your perception on things and is good life experience. My wife came a couple of times and she didn’t like it, It wasn’t westernised where I was. I had my routine going to the gym, going for coffee. It’s not for everyone but I would have happily stayed out longer.

“I was coaching the children every day between 5 and 7pm. There were four other coaches I was responsible for. I’m an A-level coach and a huge part of it was an introduction to football for these kids.”

McGoldrick returned to Scotland in February 2017 to be number two at East Fife to Barry Smith. He then joined Kilsyth Rangers in 2018 before the chance to join Warriors in September emerged.

He said: “I’m even hungrier now. We want to win games. I’m delighted to be back here and I don’t want it to be short term so it’s about winning games even when you don’t perform at your best.

“I don’t think there is much between the teams in this league but the table doesn’t lie we must start getting results.”

After the disappointment against Annan, Stenhousemuir face leaders Cove Rangers on Saturday, a side they’ve already beat.

McGoldrick added: “We’ve got a group of players who could play at a higher level but they need to reach those levels week in week out.

“I felt against Annan on Saturday that was the best we have played, we deserved more out of the game and I would have been disappointed with a draw nevermind a defeat.

“It’s another tough game on Saturday we’ve beat them already so I don’t see why we can’t do it again.”