From National League North to the Premiership in six seasons for ex-Peterborough United player and Szmodics on target at Ipswich Town again

The 31 year-old has joined Scottish Premiership side Livingston and made his debut as a late substitute in a 1-1 draw at Ross County last week.

He was an unused substitute in 2-0 home defeat to Celtic on Saturday.

Lloyd-McGoldrick was working in a waste disposal company when Posh handed him a three-year contract. He scored 13 goals in 41 appearances for Posh before moving onto Salford, Tranmere, Gillingham and Rochdale.

Livingston have handed him a contract until January.

Lloyd-McGoldrick told the Press Association: “I’ve had a fairly unconventional route into the professional game. I turned professional when I was 25.

“I was always trying my best, but I was playing at National League North level for about four consecutive seasons.

“I was sort of just playing football for the enjoyment of it as I had a very good job at the time, but I stuck to it and I had a couple of good seasons at Fylde and then went to Stockport where everything just clicked for me footballing-wise.

“Peterborough offered me a three-year deal so I jumped from National League North to League One and the rest is history. I haven’t really looked back since I went full-time.

“It comes with it’s own challenges, it’s not all fairy tales and rainbows, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it and I’m absolutely buzzing that I have had the chance to do what I always dreamed of doing.”

Elsewhere former Posh striker Sammie Szmodics, no stranger to a goal at Ipswich, scored at Portman Road again yesterday but his Blackburn Rovers side went down 4-3 in a Championship fixture. Jack Taylor, who started the previous game at Southampton, was an 83rd minute sub for Ipswich yesterday.

Szmodics scored twice and Taylor was a teammate when Posh won 4-1 at Ipswich in a League One game in February, 2020.

Ex-Posh loanee and promotion-winning assistant manager Kevin Russell took charge at Cheltenham Town in a caretaker-manager capacity yesterday, but he was no match for wily ex-Posh manager Steve Evans whose Stevenage side won 3-0. Cheltenham have now set an EFL record of not scoring in their first nine League games of a season.

Posh loanee Kabongo Tshimanga started a Fleetwood match for the first time, playing alongside Jack Marriott, was substituted after 57 minutes of a 1-1 draw at Burton Albion.

Omar Bogle netted for Newport in a 4-1 League Two home defeat at the hands of Bradford City.