Kevin McDonald rejoins Exeter City on short-term deal

EXETER City have announced the return of veteran midfielder Kevin McDonald, who has signed a short-term deal with the club until January.

The 36-year-old former Scotland international was a huge hit when he joined the Grecians on a short-term deal in January 2023, scoring three times in 11 appearances. However, while City were keen for him to stay, and offered him a one-year deal, he opted to join Bradford City instead.

McDonald only made 23 appearances in two seasons for the Bantams, but was thrust into the manager’s hot seat when the man that signed him, Mark Hughes, was sacked last October. But McDonald left the club by mutual consent in August when he was informed he was not part of manager Graham Alexander’s plans at Valley Parade.

READ MORE: Reece Cole hopes to put frustration of injuries behind him

READ MORE: Devon steam train launches 4-course Christmas feast

McDonald quickly returned to Devon and has been training with the Grecians ever since. Now, as City head into a crucial run of games, they have got him on board to both bolster the squad – and play a role in helping develop the club’s young talents.

“I’ve trained here for a while to keep fit and it’s great to be back,” McDonald said. “The squad is highly impressive and I’m comfortable with the environment.

“The squad have been great at welcoming me back. I loved my time here in 2023, which was a big reason why I came back to train here.

“The standard and quality within the team is high and there is no limit as the manager has said previously. I’ve been impressed in training with the younger lads and the senior lads and the intensity and development has been good to see. It’s a club that is on the up and hopefully I can continue to help with that.”

A big part of the reason for his return is that he can play a big part in the mentoring of City’s younger players such as Jake Richards, something McDonald is delighted to carry out.

“It was a conversation I had with the manager and it’s something I like to be involved with as I’m naturally vocal on the pitch,” he said. “If I can use this to help support Jake and the younger players then I’m delighted to.

“I still feel I’ve got a lot to offer as a player and until I feel that has gone I’m excited to still be a player and this role is the best of both worlds.”

Manager Gary Caldwell was delighted to bring his former international team-mate back to the club adding: “We felt like it was an opportunity to get him in on a more permanent basis - it’s only short term, but we felt like getting him as part of the squad because of the level he has shown every day.

“There are other roles in mind in terms of leadership and mentoring players like Jake Richards. Kev’s character and everything he brings to the club is first class.

“Kev raises the standard of training with his quality and experience and we feel he can provide competition, he needs to get some games under his belt and we will look to get him minutes in the Premier League Cup games, with an eye on mentoring Jake Richards similar to what David Perkins did earlier in the season.

“He has played at a really high level and still has a lot to offer. His experience with Bradford will be beneficial. He is someone I have huge respect for and we will assess in January to see if we can extend the deal.”