Like Kelvin Wilson, a product of the Notts County youth system (he actually played 4 first team games for them as a teenager) who had to move away from Nottingham to make his name, before Forest finally got their act together to hoover up local talent. Southampton added him to their Academy for a season - he was a member of their side who were beaten finalists in the 2005 FA Youth Cup, forming what sounds a fairly formidable forward line alongside Theo Walcott & Leon Best.

McGoldrick made his Saints first team debut in early 2005-06, before being sent back to Notts to get more first team experience. Astonishingly he failed to score during this stay - I say astonishingly, because he scored a cool 44 goals that season for Southampton's Academy & Stiffs, forcing his way into the first team after 3 goals in a losing FA Youth Cup semi-final (against a Liverpool side containing Paul Anderson).

A further toughening up / experience loan spell followed, this time at Port Vale, before McGoldrick established himself during 2008-09, a season which proved to be disastrous for Saints as they went down and went in administration at the same time - not that this was McGoldrick's fault, since he scored over a quarter of their goals whilst still only 21.

Despite all this history, McGoldrick is still young as he joins his home-town club. He is billed as a forward, but he has also played a lot as an attacking midfield player, and his early Forest performances suggest that this is his true position. He is adept at running at defenders and bringing other players into the game, but not an oout-and-out predatory finisher. None the less, he looks a real talent, and Southampton's financial woes are Forest's gain.