David McGoldrick explains why he thinks there’s more interest in the EFL than Premier League

David McGoldrick explains just one of the reasons why he thinks there’s more interest in the EFL than Premier League these days.

The 37 year old,  currently playing for League Two side Notts County, gave his take on the lack of ‘mavericks’ in the Premier League, pointing to a shift where the game, especially at the top level, has become more structured, data-driven, and physically demanding—leaving less room for the unpredictable, flair-driven players he grew up admiring, like Ronaldinho, Ronaldo (R9), or Paul Gascoigne.

His argument seems to be that modern academies prioritise athleticism, work rate, and tactical discipline—think running stats and distance covered—over raw creativity or individuality.

He name-checks players like Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland as examples of today’s elite. Bellingham, he calls “half a robot,” suggesting his incredible engine and consistency make him a standout, but not the type to dazzle with flair or get fans out of their seats purely for entertainment.

McGoldrick’s not dismissing their quality; he’s just saying they’re products of a different era, one that values efficiency over eccentricity.

He contrasts this with the lower leagues where he thinks you still see more “free-spirited” players. His theory is that these players might not have the robotic discipline or physical metrics to crack the Premier League, but they bring a raw, off-the-cuff style that’s closer to the maverick spirit. He even suggests some fans prefer watching these leagues because they offer a less polished, more entertaining brand of football compared to the often predictable “top games” in the Premier League.

McGoldrick’s been around the game for two decades and feels the soul of football has shifted. The Premier League’s still got flair players—someone like Cole Palmer or Bukayo Saka might challenge his view, but the days of a Ronaldinho nutmegging three defenders while grinning ear-to-ear do feel rarer at the elite level.
The game’s faster and more tactical now, and maybe that does squeeze out the chaos a true maverick thrives in. What do you think—has football lost that spark, or are the mavericks just hiding in plain sight?

David McGoldrick claims the Premier League doesn’t have any ‘mavericks’. pic.twitter.com/Mi2kzT4LmT

— The Sun Football ⚽ (@TheSunFootball) March 20, 2025

🗣️Premier League is full of robots. There are no mavericks that get you out of your seat like Gazza any more

⚽️ Ex-Prem star David McGoldrick slams top-flight as boring in exclusive interview with me. #PremierLeague #SUFC #NCFC #EFL

FULL INTERVIEW 👉🏼 https://t.co/9LDB2Ptshz pic.twitter.com/oMI9LgUDLN

— Justin Allen (@justinallen1976) March 22, 2025

“Don’t watch as much football as I used to. Not because I don’t love it as much, but just because, you know, some of the top games aren’t enjoyable to watch, and that’s just my personal view because there’s no Mavericks out there.

“The way the kids get brought up in the academy these days and, you know, the running stats and how hard you’ve got to run and certain things like that to make it, I don’t think there will be.

“And that’s the sad thing about it. Like, on top of my head, I can’t think of a Ronaldinho or R9, a Gazza, someone just like even in, like, at that kind of level, like, to play like that.

“I don’t think you probably have to think of one, literally who is doing that.

“Obviously, you’ve got the likes of the great the good English players like now, like Phil Foden, and, you got Jude Bellingham who’s England’s hope.

“He’s a fantastic player, but, you know, he’s half a robot. Like, he’s he will cover the most distance.

“He will score you a goal here and there, or more than here and there, but he he’s not gonna get you off your seat and, you know, make you go buy a ticket.

“But that’s the top players and Haaland the same. You know, he’s just an absolute machine, but he’s not a maverick.

“But that’s just the the game how it’s changed over the the past twenty years that I’ve been playing. If you’re going down the leagues, you probably see, you know, more play players, you know, more free spirited.

“Maybe that’s why they’re in the Football League and are not at the top because they haven’t got that side to them.

“It’s a bit off the cuff. There were some good players, you know, in in the Football League Championship League One, League Two.

“There were some really good players, and, you know, maybe they’ll get their move after that and to the top and maybe install it to them or they haven’t worked out in the top league and they come back down into into lower leagues.

“But, you know, there is some good quality players, in the Football League and I feel that people, you know, when you watch it on tell you, I speak to some people and they say that rather watch EFL than a top a top game these days.”