Marc McNulty was discarded by Sheffield United, But Coventry City turned him into their talisman.
After leaving Sheffield United, Marc McNulty found fresh inspiration at Coventry City.
After being demoted from the Championship in 2012, the Sky Blues spent the five seasons before being demoted to League One, where they were placed in League Two in 2017.
The club had been battling several financial problems, which had not helped with their steady decline.
This resulted in their having to share a groundshare with Northampton Town in 2013 and ultimately in their liquidation in 2015, after which they were only permitted to play under a new company.
But Marc McNulty’s arrival not only helped Coventry climb back up the leagues, but it also gave him a boost in his career.
Marc McNulty’s career was fading away at Sheffield United
After finishing as the third division’s top scorer in his final season played north of the border, McNulty joined Sheffield United in the summer of 2014. He had previously played for Livingston in Scotland.
After a respectable first season in which he scored nine goals in League One, his time in Yorkshire had started off nicely.
However, he would score just once in 13 games during his second and third seasons with the Blades, relegating him to a supporting role. In fact, Bradford City and Portsmouth received loans from him.
| Marc McNulty’s Sheffield United stats (al competitions, as per FotMob) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Season | Appearances | Goals |
| 16/17 | 5 | 0 |
| 15/16 | 8 | 1 |
| 14/15 | 43 | 13 |
He was unable to leave Bramall Lane at the end of his contract as a result, and he never really made an impression in England.
The 24-year-old signed a two-year contract with Mark Robins’ Coventry, who had just been demoted from League One.
“Goalscoring was clearly an area requiring improvement from last season, and I’m delighted to have been given the support to improve this area with a player of Marc’s undoubted quality,” stated the Robins, citing their goalscoring issues as the primary motivation for bringing McNulty in.
Marc McNulty would be Coventry’s talisman as he led them to promotion
At Coventry, McNulty would once more find his shooting boots, and he would help the team get promoted back to League One at the first opportunity.
He would help them get promoted by scoring 25 goals and providing eight more assists in 45 games, including a hat-trick in a 4-0 victory over Grimsby Town. However, his playoff goals would have been the most significant.
They would play Notts County in the semi-finals. After trailing 1-0 at home in the first leg, McNulty scored a vital penalty in the 87th minute to tie the score heading into the second leg at Meadow Lane.
Coventry would go on to thrash the Magpies 4-1; in the 37th minute, McNulty scored Coventry’s second goal, giving them a 2-0 lead for the game.
In the Wembley Stadium final, “Sparky” would emerge victorious, helping two teams to a 3-1 victory over Exeter City. He was named Man of the Match due to his outstanding performance.
With 42% of the vote, he would win the PFA Player of the Year in League Two, demonstrating the recognition of his campaign-long efforts.
Coventry was fired and returned to League One, but he left after just one season to sign for £1.2 million to join Reading in the Championship.
Even though McNulty’s tenure was brief, his outstanding play throughout the season will live on in Coventry’s fond memories as it helped the team return to the Championship in 2020.
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