Shaun MacDonald facts for kids
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MacDonald with Wales, 2016
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Shaun Benjamin MacDonald | ||
| Date of birth | 17 June 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | Swansea, Wales | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
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Current team
|
Penybont | ||
| Number | 21 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Swansea City | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2005–2011 | Swansea City | 24 | (0) |
| 2009 | → Yeovil Town (loan) | 4 | (2) |
| 2009 | → Yeovil Town (loan) | 12 | (2) |
| 2010 | → Yeovil Town (loan) | 19 | (1) |
| 2010–2011 | → Yeovil Town (loan) | 15 | (0) |
| 2011 | → Yeovil Town (loan) | 11 | (4) |
| 2011–2016 | AFC Bournemouth | 84 | (1) |
| 2016–2019 | Wigan Athletic | 39 | (1) |
| 2019–2021 | Rotherham United | 32 | (0) |
| 2021 | Crewe Alexandra | 3 | (0) |
| 2021– | Penybont | 27 | (1) |
| International career | |||
| 2005–2006 | Wales U19 | 5 | (1) |
| 2006–2010 | Wales U21 | 25 | (2) |
| 2010–2016 | Wales | 4 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 27 June 2023 | |||
Shaun Benjamin MacDonald (born June 17, 1988) is a Welsh footballer. He plays as a midfielder for Cymru Premier club Penybont.
Shaun started his football journey in the youth team at Swansea City. He has played four times for the senior Wales team. He also holds the record for the most games played for the Wales Under-21 team, with 25 appearances. Besides Swansea and Penybont, MacDonald has played for several other clubs. These include Yeovil Town (on loan), AFC Bournemouth, Wigan Athletic, Rotherham United, and Crewe Alexandra.
Contents
Shaun MacDonald's Club Career
Starting at Swansea City
Shaun MacDonald was born in Swansea, Wales. He began his football career with his hometown club, Swansea City. He worked his way up through their youth teams. Shaun made his first appearance for the senior team on August 31, 2005. This was in a League Cup match against Reading. In his first season, he played 13 games in total. He also played four times in the Football League Trophy, which Swansea went on to win that year.
Shaun scored his first goals for Swansea during the 2008–09 season. He scored against Brentford in the League Cup on August 12, 2008. After playing only six games that season, he joined League One team Yeovil Town. This was a one-month loan deal starting on January 27, 2009. In his very first game for Yeovil, MacDonald scored the only goal. This helped them win 1–0 against Huddersfield Town. He played four games before going back to Swansea.
Later, on September 21, 2009, Shaun returned to Yeovil Town for another loan. This time it was for three months. He played very well for Yeovil, starting all 12 of their league games. He also scored two goals during this time. After returning to Swansea, he went back to Yeovil for a third loan spell. This deal was agreed on December 31, 2009, and lasted until the end of the 2009–10 season.
In August 2010, MacDonald went back to Yeovil for a fourth loan. This loan lasted until January 2011. He joined Yeovil for a fifth time on March 17, 2011. This loan was until the end of the 2010–11 season. On March 26, 2011, he scored three goals in the first half. This helped Yeovil win 5–1 against Leyton Orient.
Playing for AFC Bournemouth
Shaun MacDonald joined AFC Bournemouth on August 25, 2011. The transfer fee was around £125,000. He scored his first goal for Bournemouth on August 30, 2011. This was in a 4–1 win against Hereford United in the Football League Trophy. His first league goal for the club came on April 21, 2012, against Colchester United. During Bournemouth's 2014–15 season, he played five league games. That season, Bournemouth earned promotion to the Premier League. MacDonald made his Premier League debut on October 17, 2015. He came on as a substitute against Manchester City.
Time at Wigan Athletic
On August 13, 2016, MacDonald moved to Wigan Athletic. They had just been promoted to the Championship league. He scored his first goal for Wigan on October 18, 2016. This goal helped them draw 1–1 against Leeds United. Sadly, he missed the entire 2017–18 season. This was because he broke his leg in a game against Reading in April 2017.
Moving to Rotherham United
After leaving Wigan Athletic, Shaun MacDonald signed with League One team Rotherham United. He joined them on June 3, 2019, on a two-year deal. His time at Rotherham was affected by illness and injuries. A virus kept him out of games for a long time in the 2019–20 season. Then, a broken leg kept him from playing for over two months in the 2020–21 season. On May 17, 2021, Rotherham United announced that MacDonald would leave the club. His contract was ending.
Short Spell at Crewe Alexandra
On June 24, 2021, it was announced that Shaun MacDonald would join Crewe Alexandra. He signed a two-year contract with them. He played his first game for Crewe on August 7, 2021. He came on as a substitute in a 1–1 league draw against Cheltenham Town. However, on September 1, 2021, Crewe confirmed that MacDonald had left the club. He had decided to retire from professional football after playing only four games.
Coming out of Retirement for Penybont
On December 23, 2021, Shaun MacDonald decided to return to football. He signed an 18-month deal with Cymru Premier team Penybont.
Shaun MacDonald's International Career
Shaun MacDonald has played for Wales at both under-19 and Under-21 levels. In June 2009, he was called up to the senior national squad. This was for a World Cup qualifier game in Azerbaijan. After playing his 22nd game at under-21 level, he broke a record. He had played more games than any other player for the Welsh Under-21 team.
MacDonald made his first full international appearance on October 12, 2010. This was against Switzerland. He earned his second cap against Israel in 2015. This was during a 2016 European Championships qualifying match.
Career Highlights and Awards
Shaun MacDonald has achieved some notable successes during his career:
- With Swansea City:
- He won the Football League Trophy in the 2005–06 season.
- With AFC Bournemouth:
- He helped them win the Football League Championship in the 2014–15 season.
- They were also runners-up in Football League One in the 2011–12 season.
Images for kids
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MacDonald warming up for Yeovil Town, 2010
