Exeter move a 'no-brainer'
Exeter City defender Angus MacDonald has said his move from Aberdeen on transfer deadline day was a "no-brainer".The 32-year-old joined the Grecians on a short-term contract until the end of the season after leaving the Scottish Premiership club as a free agent."When I finally got the nod to drive down, it was exciting," MacDonald told BBC Radio Devon."I've spent a few years down here before and I love the area so it was a no-brainer when I heard [about the transfer]."MacDonald made his Exeter debut in their FA Cup penalty shootout defeat by Nottingham Forest - playing 120 minutes and hitting the bar with City's third spot-kick."I'm always quite confident when it comes to those situations," he added. "I probably hit it a bit too well but that's the luck of the draw."During his time at Hull City, MacDonald was diagnosed with bowel cancer, for which he was given the all-clear after three months of treatment."It wasn't a nice situation to go through but I knew I always wanted to get back playing - that was always the end goal."I was having symptoms - early stage sort of stuff. It was just a case of going in for check-ups and colonoscopies. Unfortunately, it showed bowel cancer."After being given the all-clear, the former England Under-19 international has advice for those worried about going for a check-up with their local clinician. "I'm living proof that if you get checked early, diagnosed early, then you can be fine so don't be scared, go get tested early."
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Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Celtic-bound star could be set for his first Scotland cap as Steve Clarke eyes late call up for Liechtenstein clash
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) STEVE CLARKE will turn to exiting Aberdeen goalkeeper Ryan Doohan to answer Scotland's goalkeeping SOS. Head coach Clarke's been left with an alarming gloves situation following rookie Cieran Slicker's blundering display as a sub in Friday night's crushing 3-1 friendly defeat to Iceland at Hampden. Sign up for the Celtic newsletter Sign up 2 Ross Doohan could be set to make his Scotland debut Credit: Kenny Ramsay 2 Steve Clarke has a big decision to make Credit: Kenny Ramsay And now he's hoping the out of contract Doohan - poised to return to Celtic - can report at short notice for the flight for tomorrow's game against Liechtenstein in Vaduz. The 27-year-old played 18 games for Jimmy Thelin's Scottish Cup winners last season, standing in for Bulgarian Dimitar Mitov during injury absences. Doohan started his career with the Hoops but didn't manage the breakthrough before later playing for Ayr United, Ross County, Dundee United, Tranmere and Forest Green. He signed for the Dons in July, 2023, and overall has had 20 matches. Doohan's last game was the 2-2 home draw against Rangers in April. With Craig Gordon, Zander Clark and Liam Kelly already sidelined, Clarke then lost Angus Gunn through injury after just several minutes while immediate back-up Robby McCrorie was crocked in the warm-up. It forced Clarke to throw on Ipswich Town third choice Slicker who has never played a league match in his career and has managed a meagre five starts over his six years as a pro, three of them at Rochdale two seasons ago. It proved a horrible experience for the 22-year-old - at fault for all three goals and shaky in-between times before trudging off at full-time looking shattered. Eighteen-year-old Bournemouth fringe keeper Callan McKenna - signed from Queen's Park 16 months ago for £300,000 - is the only other fit shot-stopper in the squad. Scotland fans need to STOP booing Steve Clarke and his players says Kris Boyd Scotland youth McKenna, who made his debut for the Spiders at 16 and made nine appearances, has been on the bench for the Premier League Cherries at various times without playing. SunSport understands a Scotland cap would earn his former club a stunning six-figure bonus as part of the transfer agreement with the South Coast outfit. McKenna will be on the plane for Vaduz. Meanwhile, Craig Levein has confessed he's concerned over Scotland's looming goalkeeping crisis. And the former Scotland boss is just as worried over our World Cup qualifying prospects after watching stand-in keeper Slicker's calamitous display in Friday night's defeat. Levein - helping to promote a Walking Football Scotland event - told Sky Sports: 'Angus got injured last night after about 60 or 90 seconds, whatever it was. 'Craig Gordon's not fit and Liam Kelly's injured. 'It is a slight worry that Craig Gordon, in my opinion, is probably our best goalkeeper - and he's 42. How they rated Angus Gunn - Came for a cross in the first minute but crumpled with an ankle problem so was unable to continue. Terrible timing given he is without a club having left Norwich. 1 Max Johnston - Given his chance on the right hand side and made a positive impact. Will be disappointed he didn't make more of a back post chance to score. A decent start. 6 John Souttar - Showed great strength inside the box to hold off his marker and head home Max Johnston's wicked corner. Will be furious at the goals Scotland lost. 5 Grant Hanley - Tried to show Andri Gudjohnsen inside after Cieran Slicker's poor kick but ended up with egg on his face as he whipped it into the top corner from 25 yards. Grim night. 4 Kieran Tierney - 50th cap and a poor occasion to hit that milestone. Matched Albert Gudmindsson's runs all night before going off for debut man Lennon Miller in the closing stages. 5 Andy Robertson - Bombed up and down the left flank as he usually does but final balls were lacking the precision to really hurt Iceland. Skipper has to drag Scotland's defence out of this rot. 5 John McGinn - Patrolled the middle of the park as he usually does but nothing really came off for him high up the pitch. Scotland will need him refreshed and flying in September. 5 Billy Gilmour - Did precisely what you expect from him now. Kept possession and the ball ticking over as the link man all over the pitch. Below his best like so many. 5 Lewis Ferguson - Didn't know much about it at the own goal which put Iceland back in front. Unlucky as a comedy pinball moment saw the ball crack off him and squirm past Cieran Slicker. 5 Scott McTominay - Started on the left of midfield, tasked with supporting George Hirst. Few flashes of what he can do but a big game player so he keeps the real heroics for when it counts. 5 George Hirst - Missed an early header then denied his first Scotland goal by two great saves from the Iceland goalie then an offside call after scoring. Showed he's got some promise. 6 Subs: Cieran Slicker (Gunn 6) - Debut didn't go to plan, that's for sure. Poor kick for the opener, flailing at the second, even worse at the third. Difficult not to feel sorry for him at times. 2 Lennon Miller (Tierney 67) - First cap. 3 Scott McKenna (Hanley 67) - Shored it up a bit late on. 3 Che Adams (Hirst 67) - No chances. 3 Nathan Patterson (Johnston 79) - Replaced Johnston. 2 Tommy Conway (McTominay 79) - On for McTominay. 2 'It's something that I'm pretty sure Steve's looking at. 'It's not like a club team where you can go and buy another goalkeeper. 'So that's the difficulty. 'We have to hope that one of the goalkeepers improves enormously in the short term, which is difficult.' Scotland open up their World Cup qualifying bid against Denmark in Copenhagen in September and on our current form Levein added: 'You can't run away from it and say it's not a worry. 'It obviously is. 'And you could tell by the players after the match and the manager as well that they were extremely disappointed in the performance. 'But, honestly, it was one of those games that everything went wrong right from the very start. 'They just couldn't get it back. 'It was a really, really poor performance. 'Looking at two friendly matches at the end of the season and basing your concerns on that, I think, is not valid. 'But the fact there has been previous losses that haven't been great performances at all, that would give you a little bit more concern.' Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Glasgow Times
4 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Ex-Rangers manager comments on treatment of Cyriel Dessers
The Nigerian finished last season as the Scottish Premiership's top scorer with 18 goals in 35 games. Clement, who was dismissed as manager in February following a 2-0 defeat to St Mirren at Ibrox, recently commented on Dessers and the treatment he receives from fans. Read more: He told BBC Scotland: "I think Cyriel gets abused like nobody else in the club, or on the pitch at least. "But he was always there to work hard and to do everything for the club every day, every training, every game. "Also in this period in his career, he never scored as many goals as he did at Rangers for the teams he played for in the past. "So in the end, he performed really well with his qualities. "He was top scorer I think at the end of this season. "Of course fans always want more. "Cyriel, if he'd played in a team that had won the league, then he would be for everybody a good player. "But if you don't win the league then you are not a good player anymore." He added: "That's life at Rangers." Russell Martin was named as the permanent successor to Clement on Thursday. The 39-year-old has signed a three-year deal at Ibrox as a new era begins in Govan.
The National
5 hours ago
- The National
Clement makes claim about Rangers supporters' treatment of Dessers
The Nigerian finished last season as the Scottish Premiership's top scorer with 18 in 35 games. Ex-manager Clement, who was sacked at the end of February off the back of a 2-0 defeat to St Mirren at Ibrox, recently weighed in on Dessers and how supporters treat him. Read more: "I think Cyriel gets abused like nobody else in the club, or on the pitch at least," he told BBC Scotland. "But he was always there to work hard and to do everything for the club every day, every training, every game. "Also in this period in his career, he never scored as many goals as he did at Rangers for the teams he played for in the past. "So in the end, he performed really well with his qualities. He was top scorer I think at the end of this season. "Of course fans always want more. Cyriel, if he'd played in a team that had won the league, then he would be for everybody a good player. "But if you don't win the league then you are not a good player anymore. "That's life at Rangers. That's also the life that fans can have. "It's only as a club you need to see two things; you need to look at this rationally and not emotionally." Russell Martin was named as the permanent successor to Clement on Thursday. The 39-year-old has penned a three-year deal at Ibrox as a new era begins in Govan.
