Exeter City have signed former Aberdeen defender Angus MacDonald just hours after the Dons revealed he had left the club to pursue opportunities elsewhere.

The 32-year-old left Pittodrie on deadline day before being unveiled by the English League One side late on Monday night, joining the club until the end of the 2024/25 season.

Gary Caldwell had been looking to bolster his defence, with the centre-back familiar with the Grecian's assistant manager Kevin Nicholson through their time together at Torquay United.

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MacDonald departed the Dons after making 50 appearances since his arrival in January 2023, with highlights including his memorable Scottish Cup strike against Celtic.

He captained Aberdeen to a Europa Conference League victory over Eintracht Frankfurt and even bagged a stunning goal in the snow against HJK Helsinki in another standout moment.

On his signing, Caldwell told Exeter's club website: "Angus we know through Nicho and we felt that we need an experienced figure in defence at the moment to get us organised, to stop us conceding far too many goals.

"Experience is a vital part of any defence and he will be a massive part of what we do from now until the end of the season. The short term nature of it allows him to see us, us to see him, and then in the summer we can see what happens from there."

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Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin explained why he let the centre-half return to England, adding his thanks to MacDonald for the professionalism shown during their time together.

"Angus is at the point in his career where he needs to play regularly and at this moment in time his opportunities here are limited," said Thelin.

"His contributions, both on and off the pitch, during his time at Aberdeen have been significant, and he was a proud supporter and ambassador for AFC Community Trust where he became a role model for many youngsters who work with the Trust.

"We would like to wish Angus the best of luck with his future career and thank him for his effort and professionalism during his time here."

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