Town striker and new father David McGoldrick has revealed he was recently forced to miss out on international duty with the Republic of Ireland because his fiancée suffered a health scare.
She gave birth to daughter Meadow the day after Fulham’s win at Portman Road but in the aftermath of the delivery the player was forced to scrap plans to join up with Martin O’Neill’s squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Serbia.
McGoldrick, who now has four children, aged 12, 10, six and three weeks, said: "There were a few complications but thankfully everything is fine now, thank God.
"Families are the most important things in the world and when my fiancée had problems after giving birth it brought it home to me that football’s not life or death.
"It’s a job that we love and one that we’re fortunate to do but it doesn’t compare to family, which is much more important, especially with some of the things that are going on in the world at the minute.
"The baby was already overdue when I received a call the night before the Fulham game. I thought I would be packing my bags but it turned out to be a false alarm.
"She had got out of the bath and was naturally wet; it wasn’t that her waters had broken.
"They didn’t actually break until the first round of the big fight between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor — she timed it perfectly didn’t she? I stayed up all night for it and missed it — but the main thing is it’s all good and both mother and daughter are healthy.
"I wanted to go away but we were meant to meet up on the Sunday and on the Saturday I had spoken to Martin O’Neill, who was very understanding and asked me to keep him informed. I was planning to join up with them but my missus had a scare and had to stay in hospital for a few days, so it wasn’t possible and I had to let him know.”
But McGoldrick, who impressed in last week’s home win over rock-bottom Bolton and netted his fourth goal of the season near the end of Town’s 2-0 win, is keeping his fingers crossed that nothing will prevent him reporting for duty with the Irish as they wrap up their World Cup qualifying campaign next month.
O’Neill’s men face a home clash with Moldova on October 6th and three days later travel to Cardiff to take on Wales, looking to secure the six points needed to guarantee at least second spot in Group D and a place in the play-offs alongside seven other runners-up to determine who goes forward to the final stages in Russia next summer.
McGoldrick added: "The games against Moldova and Wales are massive, Ireland’s biggest in a long time, and we need to get something from them — preferably two wins. I missed out on the Euros last year and I’d love to be going to Russia next year.
"But I know I’ve got to be fit and firing if I’m going to have any chance of making the squad. In the meantime I want to help them get the results they need against Moldova and Wales. After I couldn’t be involved in the Georgia and Serbia games it would mean a lot to me.”
But regardless of his football fortunes McGoldrick knows exactly what to expect when he returns to his family home. "It’s carnage,” he laughed. "I’d forgotten how crazy it can be with a baby in the house. It doesn’t matter whether we win, draw or lose, when I get home I have a kid on me straight away.
"It helps to keep your mind off things. I don’t talk too much about football at home, even if I’ve scored a goal. I’m too busy on the trampoline or the Xbox — or changing a dirty nappy. I’m a very hands-on father and I’m bonding with the little one.
"I’m just grateful all is well after my fiancée had a scare for the first week or so. It was a really bad time for her but she’s come through it and been given the all-clear. You can block out these things when you are playing football. You just want to go out and scrap with the boys to get a win. Then you go home and it’s back to being a dad again.”
Will the finals hosted by Russia in 2018 represent McGoldrick’s last chance of playing in the premier international tournament? He will be 34 by the time Qatar hosts the 2022 event but added: "Who knows? Murph [Daryl Murphy is 34 and he’s still going strong, same as Jonny Walters.
"You never know what is going to happen in football, you just have to take your chance. There’s no guarantee I’ll make the squad even if we qualify because apart from the good strikers already in the squad there are also more coming through.”