Ex-Portsmouth favourite and former Sunderland, Coventry and Sheffield United man back in football - after agonising seven months without a club

The 30-year-old has been a free agent since his summer release from Reading following a disastrous four-year spell.

However, McNulty has now linked up with USL Championship side Orange County Soccer Club as he attempts to kickstart his fading career.

A big-money move to the Madejski Stadium in July 2018 would instead send his career in reverse, with the Scot struggling to make an impact, subsequently totalling 26 goals and five loan spells over the next four years.

It’s a far cry from the impressive performer who finished as Pompey’s top scorer in 2015-16 with 12 goals in 34 appearances during a popular loan spell from Sheffield United.

He then plundered 29 goals in a League Two season for Coventry, earning a switch to Championship Reading.

Since then he has featured for Hibernian (twice), Sunderland and Dundee United (twice), while has been hampered by injury.

Despite granted a free transfer last summer, McNulty had been sidelined by medial knee ligament damage sustained in April 2022, significantly impacting chances of finding a new club.

Now he has ventured to California to represent Orange County, whose 2023 USL Championship season kicks off against Louisville City on March 11.

In a club statement, general manager and president of soccer operations, Oliver Wyss, said: ‘Marc’s quality and international experience will have a significant impact on our team and we are convinced he will bring lots of joy to our fans in Orange County.’

Sporting director Peter Nugent added: ‘Marc is a prolific striker and a player we expect to play an important role within the team.

‘He has the potential to be one of the leading scorers in the league. We look forward to welcoming him to Orange County.’

McNulty joins former Dundee United team-mate Dillon Powers at the Championship Soccer Stadium.

The talented striker, who has represented Scotland twice, has endured a much-travelled career, with 10 different clubs and 12 moves so far.

Yet for Pompey fans he will long be remembered fondly for his time under Paul Cook after recruited on a short-term loan in November 2015 which, ultimately, lasted the season.

In just his third Fratton Park appearance, he netted a second-half hat-trick in the 6-0 hammering of York in League Two.

He became an integral part of the side which reached the play-off semi-finals in that 2015-16 campaign, where the Blues faced Plymouth.

McNulty opened the scoring in the Fratton Park first leg, only for the match to finish 2-2, with Cook’s side eliminated 3-2 on aggregate in stoppage time in the second leg.

A permanent return to Pompey was then explored, with the Scot even looking at houses on the south coast, only for the dismissal of Sheffield United manager Nigel Adkins seeing the move collapse.