Top scorer David McGoldrick has drawn comparisons between Town teenager Jack Marriott and former Liverpool, Real Madrid, Newcastle, Manchester United and England striker Michael Owen.

“Jack is a goalscorer, a poacher,” McGoldrick said. “He’s like a young Michael Owen. When he has his back to goal he tries to do a 180-degree turn and shoot, even if he has a defender right behind him.

“He just wants to score goals, which is a great asset to have. I definitely think he has a future in the game. He is training with us every week and he’s a really polite boy.

“He is working hard and listening to what the other strikers say to him. I think he’ll have a good career if he keeps his head down.”

The 19-year-old, who scored both goals for the U21s in their 2-2 draw at Swansea yesterday, made his senior debut on the final day of last season, coming off the bench with half an hour left in Town’s 2-0 defeat at Burnley, but has yet to add a second appearance, despite having been amongst the subs on a number of occasions in recent weeks.

McGoldrick has declared himself satisfied with his own season so far but is adamant he can do even better.

The 25-year-old former Notts County, Southampton and Nottingham Forest frontman said: “Yes, it’s going alright. I’d like to score in every single game — that’s what every striker wants — but obviously it’s about working for the team when you’re not scoring.

“I’m doing that as well and as long as the gaffer keeps picking me I’ll be giving it my all, trying to score goals and working for the team.”

McGoldrick admits he is his own worst critic and added: “I believe in my ability and I expect a lot from myself. At Bolton last week the gaffer had to tell me to keep going because I was a bit peed off with myself that I hadn’t scored.

“In the end, though, I got the goal that earned us a deserved point and the gaffer came to me and said ‘I told you to keep going, to get your head out of your hands’. It was a vital message from him and it paid off.

“When you are self-critical, like I am, you can start feeling sorry for yourself when things are not going your way. I used to be a player who always wanted the ball, no matter if I was having a good or a bad game.

“The gaffer has said he believes in me and what he was saying with his message at half-time at the Reebok was to keep trying to make things happen. Luckily it did when the ball bounced for me.”

McGoldrick has six goals to his name and will now be attempting to reach double figures as quickly as he can.

He added: “It’s not a bad return but I could have scored more. I was told long ago that it was all about getting chances. It’s when you are not getting chances that you have to start worrying. But I’m getting them and I’m putting some of them away.

“Six is a decent tally but I’ve got to keep going because I want to score loads more. Obviously, though, I want the team to win so that’s always the main thing. Hopefully I can make a contribution on both fronts.

“For any striker double figures means success and the sooner the better. Another four will get me there and hopefully they will arrive as soon as possible.”

Photo: Action Images

MaySixth added 06:41 - Nov 5 Get him involved with the first team now then.
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kalypso added 07:19 - Nov 5 Send him out on loan, then sell him to Huddersfield for £120k and sign Frank's brother, Iggy Nouble. Job done.
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Rentaghost added 07:31 - Nov 5 I think by January he will be playing most games. Murphy, Nouble, Taylor and McGoldrick. McCarthy will get rid of one or maybe two in the January transfer window.
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blueherts added 08:15 - Nov 5 Great to hear !!! Rhodes , Wickham and now Marriott - lets hope we keep him PLAY HIM and oh , I hope it is not Nouble who has been giving him advice !!! DM is ok though!! Should start getting on soon , Good enough , old enough etc etc
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JimmyJazz added 08:38 - Nov 5 We have the new Michael Owen? Don't think so. Just look at where Michael Owen was at the age of 19, not stuck in a mid-table championship club's reserve side that's for sure
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BillBlue added 09:47 - Nov 5 Jimmy, Michael Owen had a Manager who knew what he was doing and didn't keep nobles as pets.
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Bluetone added 09:49 - Nov 5 @JimmyJazz but that might say more about the lack of MM vision than it does about Jack's ability. At this rate we'll never know.
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Gingerblues added 09:58 - Nov 5 I think we all know now is that MM is not a risk taker. He has his tried and tested methods that have brought him success, fair play. Unfortunately it is that rigid approach that stops him being a top manager and taking risks on young players like Jack.
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Hegansheroes added 10:30 - Nov 5 Interesting comments by McGoldrick. I do hope JM doesn't listen to Nouble & Murphy or to MM come to that. Unless the style of play changes dramatically Marriot is not going to fit in or get a chance & I can see him going out on loan & disappearing to a 1st division team for peanuts. I really think MM has made some disastrous moves in the transfer market, ie swapping JET for Anderson & signing Nouble. JET maybe playing at a lower level but he is the only Bristol City player banging in the goals & towards the end of last season he did show more defensive qualities that MM requires. I do think DM would get more chances if we played a different style of football which seems totally reliant on what happens to the ball after it has been booted from our half upfield hoping for a lucky flick on, so no place for Taylor, JM or Wordsworth and in my view there should be no place for MM at PM Road.

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Michael11 added 11:21 - Nov 5 JET was woeful, laziest player to play for ITFC and he's only scoring against the poor teams like Carlisle and Oldham in League One! Marriott's got great potential and i'd love nothing more than to see us produce our own players, but I think it's bad how many people are pinning all their hopes on him already. I think he'd benefit much more if he was to go out on loan and play 90 minutes every week rather than sit on our bench.

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bluelady added 11:28 - Nov 5 Michael11 someone who speaks sense at last! The lad is 18 and for the manager and fans to rest their hopes on him is way too much pressure. How people can say MM isnt a top manager is beyond me... he has a fantastic success rate with teams (including ROI) Maybe he doesnt take as many risks as people want, but what this clubs needs ATM is stability. the same people saying that Jack isnt MM kind of player said the same about Taylor too im sure, he wont ever come back from loan blah blah and look what happend. a few months playing 90 mins week in week out will do Jack M the world of good - he isnt the answer ATM but may well be post christmas or next season. As for Nouble, jury is definately out but he has been much sharper the last game or two and i feel will only get better.

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Letchworth_Blue added 11:47 - Nov 5 I don't think it is a case of resting all our hopes on him. Just like to see him given a chance.
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runningout added 11:53 - Nov 5 Hope that's the Owen in a Liverpool shirt.. not the one when he left Anfield, and was the most over-rated/luckiest player to be given England caps.. We all know it was based around one goal, and the embarrassing media circus that went around it.. still rears it's pathetic head to this day
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JustSpivvyChops added 12:26 - Nov 5 "He's like a young Michael Owen"......LOL, OMG, WTF, LMFSAO, ROFLCOPTER
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wilnis_barmy_army added 12:31 - Nov 5 Runningout- you mean the Michael Owen who's one of England's all time leading goalscorers with a close to 1 in 2 ratio at international level! Who scored against likes of Brazil and Argentina in world cups! Yeah he was a terrible player.....
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TimmyH added 12:48 - Nov 5 Hopefully Mick will get him on the subs bench more often which I hope in turn will lead to more time on the pitch, we certainly need something which will open up defences.
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muccletonjoe added 13:06 - Nov 5 Total cop out to loan him to anyone. If he is good enough to be a sub he is obviously good enough to come on the field of play , all we really need is someone to have a crack at winning games rather than scraping draws
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Tractorog added 13:06 - Nov 5 I hope he means Owens scoring record and not his injury one.
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meekreech added 13:27 - Nov 5 Having seen him playing in the U-21 team on several occasions with recognised ! st team players around him he was not fully tuned in to the higher standard they supplied . He had some good touches but lacks the necessary competitive experience to be the answer as yet . A loan move to play regularly to gain that experience will help him and us rather than throw him in with us to sink or swim . He will be a success with us but is not quite ready yet .

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irishtim added 13:46 - Nov 5 MM will give him his chance when he feels he is ready. When Mick was Irish manager he gave chances to young players like Robbie Keane, Damien Duff, Richard Dunne, Stephen Reid etc. We played pretty decent footie then. Give Mick a chance and we will get the rewards.
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bluemikey100 added 13:47 - Nov 5 how good is he compared to rhodes and wickham havent seen him play for the under 21 s any one help
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oldelsworthyfan added 13:58 - Nov 5 This is about Jack Marriot's future and not about Michael Owen! With the five front men we have on our books I cannot see Jack getting a run in the first team for quite a while. What Jack needs is games and I would love to see him going out on loan to get some experience rather than just sitting on the bench.
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Mr_Evans added 14:04 - Nov 5 I got chatting to Marriott in a bar during the international break, and yes he is a very polite and down to earth guy. Most 19 yr old professionals have their heads stuck up their arses but Jack seemed very level headed. He said how he just wants to score goals and that MM has told him his chance will come and he has lots of belief in him.
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bennyitfc added 14:09 - Nov 5 What's the harm in playing him if no one else is scoring
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fifeblue added 14:13 - Nov 5 More to the point, if he is as good as Michael Owen, why isn't he in the England team scoring against Argentina?
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