Scott McDonald facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Scott McDonald

McDonald with Australia in 2010
Personal information
Full name	Scott Douglas McDonald
Date of birth	(1983-08-21) 21 August 1983 (age 41)
Place of birth	Dandenong, Victoria, Australia
Height	1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s)	Striker, attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team	Gold Coast Knights
Number	12
Youth career
1998	Gippsland Falcons
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1998–1999	Gippsland Falcons	3	(0)
1999–2000	Casey Comets	10	(3)
2000–2002	Southampton	2	(0)
2002	→ Huddersfield Town (loan)	13	(1)
2002	→ AFC Bournemouth (loan)	8	(1)
2003	Wimbledon	2	(0)
2004–2007	Motherwell	108	(42)
2007–2010	Celtic	88	(51)
2010–2013	Middlesbrough	116	(37)
2013–2015	Millwall	55	(5)
2015–2017	Motherwell	83	(24)
2017–2018	Dundee United	34	(15)
2019	Partick Thistle	12	(6)
2019–2020	Western United	9	(1)
2020–2021	Brisbane Roar	23	(9)
2021	Western Sydney Wanderers	7	(1)
2022	Gold Coast Knights	1	(0)
Total		574	(196)
International career
1999–2000	Australia U17	17	(13)
2001–2003	Australia U20	24	(16)
2003–2004	Australia U23	3	(0)
2006–2012	Australia	26	(0)
Managerial career
2021–	Gold Coast Knights
Medal record Men's football Representing  Australia FIFA U-17 World Championship Runner-up 1999 New Zealand AFC Asian Cup Runner-up 2011 Qatar OFC U-20 Championship Winner 2001 Cook Islands/New Caledonia Winner 2002 Fiji/Vanuatu
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21 September 2022

Scott Douglas McDonald (born 21 August 1983) is an Australian former professional footballer. He is currently the head coach for National Premier Leagues club Gold Coast Knights. Scott played mainly as a striker, but he could also play as an attacking midfielder.

Scott was born in Dandenong, Australia. He started his senior football career with Gippsland Falcons. In 2001, he moved to Great Britain. He played for many different clubs, including Southampton in the Premier League. He also played for Celtic and Motherwell in Scotland's top league.

McDonald played for Australia 26 times between 2006 and 2012. He was part of the team that finished second in the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. He also played in youth World Championships for Australia.

Club Career Highlights

Starting His Football Journey

Scott McDonald began his football journey in Dandenong. He first played for Doveton, then joined Casey Comets. He was loaned to Gippsland Falcons from Cranbourne Comets. At just fifteen years old, he became the youngest player ever for Gippsland Falcons in the National Soccer League.

In 2001, Scott joined Southampton as a trainee. He played only three times for their main team. He was loaned to Huddersfield Town and AFC Bournemouth to get more playing time. He scored one goal for each of these loan clubs. After his contract with Southampton ended, he joined Wimbledon.

Making a Mark at Motherwell

Scott joined Motherwell in January 2004. He had a slow start, scoring only one goal in his first half-season. However, in the next season, he scored 15 goals. Scott became famous for scoring two late goals against Celtic in the 2004–05 season. These goals stopped Celtic from winning the league title, which instead went to their rivals Rangers.

In the 2005–06 season, he scored 11 goals. The next season, he scored 15 goals. His goal against Falkirk in November 2006 was the 5000th goal in the SPL since it started. During his successful time at Motherwell, he scored 45 goals in 108 games. In December 2007, he was named BBC Sportsound Player of the Year.

Shining at Celtic

McDonald playing for Celtic

McDonald playing for Celtic in 2008.

In March 2007, Motherwell accepted an offer from Celtic for Scott. He moved to Celtic Park for the 2007–08 season. Scott made his first game for Celtic in a UEFA Champions League match against Spartak Moscow. He helped set up a goal in that game. His first goal for Celtic came in the second game against Spartak.

He scored his first league goal for Celtic against St Mirren. He also scored a winning goal in the last minute against A.C. Milan in the Champions League. In a big game against Rangers in April 2008, Scott helped his teammate score a last-minute goal. This kept Celtic in the title race. He then scored two goals and won a penalty in another important 3–2 win against Rangers.

At the end of his first season, Scott signed a new five-year deal. He was the top goalscorer in the 2007–08 season with 25 goals. He scored two hat-tricks that season, against Dundee United and his old club Motherwell. In total, he scored 31 goals in his first season at Celtic.

In November 2008, Scott scored a great goal against Manchester United in the Champions League. He also scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against Rangers in December 2008. In January 2009, he scored twice in a penalty shootout win against Dundee United. This sent Celtic to the League Cup final, which they won 2–0 against Rangers. This was Scott's first domestic cup trophy with Celtic.

Scott scored his 49th and 50th Celtic goals against Aberdeen in May. In August, he scored a key goal against Dynamo Moscow in Russia. This helped Celtic move forward in the Champions League qualifiers. Scott scored a total of 64 goals for Celtic.

Time at Middlesbrough

In February 2010, Celtic sold Scott McDonald to Middlesbrough. He joined his former coach, Gordon Strachan, and some old teammates there. He scored his first Middlesbrough goal against Newcastle in March. After coming back from an injury, he scored three goals in four games.

Scott started the 2010–11 season well, scoring twice in his first two games. In April 2011, he scored a hat-trick in Middlesbrough's 4–2 away win at Hull. He continued his good form into the 2011–12 season, scoring important goals. In December, he scored the only goal against Brighton.

In October 2012, Scott scored the winning goal in a 2–1 victory against Watford. He then scored two goals in a 2–1 win against Bolton. His good form continued as he scored the winning goal in a derby match against Sunderland, which Middlesbrough won 1–0.

Later Club Career

On 23 July 2013, Scott signed a two-year contract with Millwall. He scored his first goal for them in a 1–0 win against Charlton. He left Millwall in January 2015.

On 26 February 2015, Scott returned to Motherwell for a second time. He scored his first goal back at the club in March 2015. He signed new contracts to stay at Motherwell until May 2017. After that, he decided to leave the club.

In July 2017, Scott signed for Scottish Championship club Dundee United. He played one season there before leaving. On 15 February 2019, he came out of retirement to play for Partick Thistle. He scored on his first game for them. Scott played a big part in helping Partick Thistle avoid being relegated, scoring 7 goals in 13 games.

In May 2019, Scott returned to Australia and signed for the new A-League club Western United. He scored his first goal for them against Melbourne Victory. In January 2020, he joined Brisbane Roar. He left in April 2021 and then signed with the Western Sydney Wanderers for the rest of the 2020–21 A-League season.

International Career

McDonald training for Australia in 2009

Scott McDonald played for Australia at different youth levels, including under-17, under-20, and under-23 teams. He made his first game for the senior Australia team against Bahrain in February 2006. He also played in the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship.

Scott was part of the Australian team that started the 2010 World Cup qualification with a 3–0 win over Qatar. In May 2010, he was named in a group of players for the 2010 World Cup. However, he was not chosen for the final team.

His last game for Australia was on 15 August 2012, against Scotland. He came on as a substitute in that game, which Australia lost 3–1. Scott never scored a goal for Australia during his international career.

Coaching Career

Gold Coast Knights

After turning 38, Scott McDonald started his coaching career. He was named the head coach for National Premier Leagues club Gold Coast Knights on 26 August 2021. His son also played for this team.

On 30 December 2021, Scott played as an emergency substitute for Gold Coast Knights. This happened during an FFA Cup match against Melbourne Victory because a player was injured. Melbourne Victory won the game 2–1 after extra time.

Career Statistics

Honours and Achievements

Scott McDonald has won several awards and championships throughout his career:

AFC Bournemouth

• Football League Third Division play-offs: 2003 (won promotion)

Motherwell

• Scottish League Cup runner-up: 2004–05
• Scottish Premiership play-offs: 2015 (helped team stay in top league)

Celtic

• Scottish Premier League: 2007–08 (league champion)
• Scottish League Cup: 2008–09 (cup winner)

Australia National Team

• AFC Asian Cup: runner-up 2011

Australia U-20 Team

• OFC U-19 Men's Championship: 2001, 2002 (championship winner)

Australia U17 Team

• FIFA U-17 World Cup: runner-up 1999

Individual Awards

• Motherwell Player of the Year: 2004–05
• BBC Sportsound Player of the Year: 2006–07
• PFA Scotland Team of the Year: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09 (chosen as one of the best players in the league)
• OFC U-20 Championship Top Scorer: 2002
• SPL Top Scorer: 2007–08 (scored the most goals in the league)
• SPL Player of the Month: September 2004, September 2007, March 2009

See also

In Spanish: Scott McDonald para niños