Ex-Portsmouth, Coventry, Sunderland and Sheffield United favourite suffers new career set-back after USA blow

A former Pompey goal-scoring favourite is on the lookout for yet another club after his American adventure ended.

Marc McNulty moved to Orange County Soccer Club in January in a bid to kickstart a career in danger of petering out.

It represented a sixth club in under four years for the ex-Scotland international amid a disastrous spell at Reading.

Since a big-money move to the Madejski Stadium in July 2018, the striker has featured for Hibernian (twice), Sunderland and Dundee United (twice) and now Orange County, while hampered by several injury issues.

However, hopes of resurrecting his fading fortunes across the Atlantic have ended in disappointment following his release upon the culmination of their USL Championship campaign.

Orange County suffered a 2-1 extra-time defeat to Phoenix Rising in the Western Conference semi-finals at the end of October.

McNulty was introduced off the bench in the 90th minute, with Phoenix’s Emil Cuello’s 116th-minute goal settling matters on their way to beating Sacramento Republic in the final.

It signalled McNulty’s final appearance for the club after 25 outings, of which 11 were as starts, totalling three goals.

Orange County, who have former Pompey left-back Paul Hardyman among their coaching staff, decided against offering the Scot a new deal and now he must look elsewhere.

It’s another set-back for the likeable McNulty, who finished as Pompey’s top scorer in 2015-16 with 12 goals in 34 appearances while on loan from Sheffield United.

He netted in the first-leg play-off encounter against Plymouth at Fratton Park, only for Paul Cook’s men to suffer an aggregate 3-2 defeat.

A Fratton Park return was explored, with the player looking at houses on the south coast, yet the dismissal of United manager Nigel Adkins and Chris Wilder’s appointment saw the move collapse.

McNulty instead remained with the Blades for their 2016-17 season in League One, before departing on a free transfer at the end of his contract.

He subsequently registered 29 goals in the 2017-18 League Two season for Coventry, earning a switch to Championship Reading on a four-year deal.

But since then his career has struggled, failing to reproduce that sizzling form in England, Scotland and now America.

Currently aged 31, McNulty will be hoping for better fortunes from his next move.