Kyle Macdonald first interview
Friday, 15th Jan 2021“ Different coaches have different opinions, the more the merrier really and the more that I can learn from them the better I will become and the quicker that it will happen.”
Twenty one year old Airdrieonians defender Kyle Macdonald signed a two and a half year deal with Dunfermline on 14th January. He will be loaned back to the League One side when the SPFL lifts the suspension. In his first interview as a Pars player, he answered questions for the website to tell us more about himself.
What are your plans for this season now?
“It depends how the Covid situation goes with the lower leagues. I will still be training at Dunfermline and getting to know the boys but if their season starts back then the plan is to go back there on loan to finish off the season.”
At the beginning of the season your ambition was to get to the Championship, the move has accelerated that?
“I spoke to the manager on zoom and he asked me what my footballing goals were. I said one was to play in the Championship because I have played in League One and the next step up would be the Championship. I didn’t know if that might be with Airdrie or with a team like Dunfermline but I am really happy to be here.”
When did you become aware of Dunfermline’s interest in you?
“It was only last week that I found out that they had been watching me, liked what they had seen and were interested in me. They approached Airdrie so that gives you a lift really, I was buzzing about in training because when you hear that somebody is interested in you, especially a club like Dunfermline.
“I wanted to play in the Championship but I didn’t want to play for a team that was struggling but by coming to Dunfermline, a team that is doing really well and wanting to build and go places, I am really happy to be here.”
The suspension of the lower leagues must have come as a bit of a blow to you?
“That maybe helped push it through because I spoke to Gary my agent because I can’t train just now. I knew that if I moved here I would be able to train so that was a big factor for me because I want to be playing football every day, training and getting better. I think that this is the place for me to do that.”
With Greg Shields, Jason Dair and Steven Whittaker at Dunfermline you will have plenty of coaches with experience of your position?
“Yes, no pressure I’m sure that they will be able to tell me a thing or two to help me along the way. I’m looking forward to working with them. Different coaches have different opinions, the more the merrier really and the more that I can learn from them the better I will become and the quicker that it will happen.”
Kyle was born in Bellshill on 14th January 2000 and was brought up in East Kilbride.
“I started playing football at Scotland Boys Club in Hamilton. It is just a big academy where my brother played for the older age group. That is how my dad got me into it. Originally I played in goals for a couple of years but I hated it but they put me outfield and I have loved it since then.
“I got picked up by Motherwell and was there for eleven years. I signed my first professional contract there and was looking to maybe push myself into the first team but things didn’t quite work out, so I moved to Airdrie because Airdrie were offering me a contract.
“I thought that it was a good place to go, play as many games as I can in men’s football because I hadn’t played first team football yet.”
You must have joined Motherwell at a young age?
“I was training with them when I was eight but you don’t sign a contract until you are ten. I was there until I was 19. It was hard to take when I left because it was all I knew really. It helped me grow up when I moved on to a different team, play men’s football and I have ended up here so I wouldn’t change it.”
What happened to your brother’s football career?
“My closest brother to me, Josh, who is eighteen months older than me played for Scotland Under 18 schoolboys and Raith Rovers reserves but my other two brothers played for Pollok and the other amateur but they are all mad into football.”
You played in successful Motherwell youth teams alongside some players who went on to bigger things?
“Yes, Allan Campbell, James Scott, David Turnbull, Jake Hastie, Adam Livingstone, Barry McGuire, PJ Morrison who is still at Motherwell and Rohan Ferguson who is at Queen of the South now. When I was in the reserves we had a really good team, nobody in our league wanted to play us. A lot of the boys have gone on to do really well. I was surrounded by good players and it probably helped me that I was in such a good team, you had to play well to play in that team.”
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You are right footed but what position were you playing then?
“In the under 20s and reserves I was playing right of a back three. I have played centre back, both full back positions quite a bit and then I have played centre mid and both left and right mid. I feel that I am quite a versatile player.
“In the last couple of games for Airdrie I have played left back, I am comfortable playing there. I just want to play football so I am not that fussed where I play, I do have positions that I prefer but if a manager picks me to play somewhere I will do the best I can in that position.”
Did you discuss the move to Dunfermline with those you know have Pars connections?
“Callum Fordyce is a great guy, he has helped me a lot. David Hutton was at Dunfermline but he left us and moved on in January. Calum Smith was on loan with us last year, he did well. I had only joined Airdrie when Josh Edwards signed for Dunfermline, I only trained with him maybe two days before he left.”
Above: Former Pars captain Callum Fordyce, Kyle’s team mate at Airdrie
You have not met or trained with the squad here yet?
“The plan is to train with the team here, if I am going to be playing with Airdrie I will still try and train with them at least a couple of times a week and then play with them at the weekend. I will get more game time at Airdrie and be up here getting to know everyone here.
“This is my first day ever to be in Dunfermline, I have never been in the stadium - everything is brand new to me. It looks good and the first thing I noticed was the grass pitch. I am looking forward to playing on that, you don’t get many grass pitches in League One. It is something to look forward to, if you ask most players they would rather play on grass. My first aim is to get myself into the team and when I get there, stay there.”
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