Bradford City welcomes veteran midfielder Kevin McDonald
Kevin McDonald Credit: None
Bradford City AFC has announced the signing of seasoned midfielder Kevin McDonald.
The Scotland international has signed a two-year deal with the club that will last until the summer of 2025. This move follows the end of McDonald's short-term contract with Exeter City.
McDonald joined Exeter City in January and during the second half of the 2022/23 campaign, scored three goals in 11 appearances in the Sky Bet League One.
McDonald started his football career with Dundee before joining Burnley in 2008 where he played a significant role in their promotion to the Premier League that season.
Afterward, he had a two-year stint in League One with Sheffield United. This was followed by a move to Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he was part of the team that set a new League One record with 103 points in the 2013/14 season.
McDonald then made 128 appearances across the Premier League and Championship with Fulham, before having spells at Dundee United and Exeter.
Upon his signing, McDonald expressed his excitement, "It is great to get the deal over the line and be here. It has been a long time coming. There has been a lot of work behind the scenes, so to get it finally sorted is exciting."
He recalled his previous visit to Bradford in January, "I was here on trial for three days in January and enjoyed my time. What I noticed was a good group of lads with a lot of quality and togetherness, and I like that in a dressing room."
McDonald is looking forward to the challenges ahead, "As a footballer, you want to play in the biggest stadiums and under pressure. I pride myself on being capable in pressurised environments. I do not want to come here and see out a career, I want to be here to get promoted and am looking forward to getting started.”
City manager Mark Hughes was equally pleased with the new signing. He said, “We are pleased to be welcoming Kevin to the club, as a player we already know a lot about. After spending a short period with us on trial back in January, he impressed us a lot before eventually joining Exeter City, so to have him with us now is great.”
Praising McDonald's experience and ability, Hughes added, "He is a combative midfielder with bags of experience in the Premier League and Championship, as well as on the international scene with Scotland. He will add even more drive and leadership to our midfield, with his goalscoring numbers at Exeter last season also impressive."
