Striker David McGoldrick is delighted to have returned to action after his latest injury setback and is looking forward to linking up with his old friend Leon Best in the Town attack.
McGoldrick suffered a freak ankle injury in the EFL Cup tie against Stevenage in August but made his comeback as a half-time sub in Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at Newcastle as a replacement for Best, a childhood friend from Nottingham and the Notts County and Southampton youth set-ups.
"Me and Leon go way back, I've known him since I was about eight years old," McGoldrick told Ipswich Player HD.
"Not only did we play football together, we would hang out too and I think he even stayed at mine for a sleepover on Millennium New Year's Eve!
"We haven't played alongside each other since our Southampton days, so it would be good if we could do that for Ipswich.”
The 28-year-old, who netted his first goal of the season from the penalty spot against Barnsley on the opening day, believes Best will get nearer to the top of his game the more he plays.
ðŸ"º | #itfc striker David McGoldrick talks us through his return to action and how he can't wait to link up with close friend, Leon Best âš½ pic.twitter.com/aH1G1atjy0
— Ipswich Town FC (@Official_ITFC) October 25, 2016
"Leon is a good player," he added. "He's strong, he's brings others into play and he can score goals as well.
"He has got everything, he just needs a run of games, which he is getting now after not having a pre-season.
"But we've got some good strikers at the club and competition for places is strong here. For now, I'm just concentrating on getting match fit and getting minutes under my belt. I got through 45 minutes at Newcastle fine and I'm looking forward to Saturday now.”
Speaking last month, Best said he was similarly looking forward to playing alongside his fellow Republic of Ireland international.
"I’ve grown up with him from the age of about eight or nine so I know everything about him,” he said.
"I can’t wait to play with him again. We’ve always kept in touch and we were in Dubai together in the summer.
"He’s from Nottingham, I’m from Nottingham and we always speak. He’s looking forward to us getting together out on the pitch again. We played for Nottinghamshire, the city boys, and at Notts County, of course.
"That was a long time ago but we were also together at Southampton, where we lived together in ‘The Lodge’ [Darwin Lodge where Saints’ youth players were housed].
"We have some great memories and he’s a great player. When he comes back we’ll be more fierce and powerful.”