He started out at non-league side Kettering Town, but following a transfer to Nuneaton Borough he established himself as a utility player in the early 1980s.
He went on to move into the Football League with Northampton Town, where he collected a Fourth Division title medal in 1987.
During the game he supplied the cross which set up Ian Wright's goal which secured promotion to the First Division in Palace's 4–3 aggregate victory over Blackburn Rovers.
He was also known for taking Arsenal's corner kicks with an unorthodox 'looping' style, by lofting the ball high into the air before it dropped in the penalty area.
However, after a spell at Northampton, McGoldrick's old club Crystal Palace sought to appoint him as one of their youth team managers in 2013.
Wherein the college students aged 16 – 19 years old have the opportunity of pursuing a full-time footballing scholarship along with a BTEC Sport qualification.
At the start of the 2016–17 season, McGoldrick was again offered by Crystal Palace a post at the helm of the side's academy.
released a song featuring McGoldrick's name being sung to a jaunty tune, a running joke on the podcast.