Brechin City have completed their ninth signing of the summer in Anthony McDonald.
The former Hearts prospect has put pen to paper on a two-year deal at Glebe Park.
The 21-year-old attacker signed his deal prior to City’s 3-1 Highland League win over Fortmartine United and appeared as a ‘trialist’ later on in the match.
McDonald came through the Jambos youth ranks, making his first team debut at the age of 16, setting up a goal in a 2-0 win over Dundee at Tynecastle.
McDonald no stranger to Brechin pair
The winger made 25 appearances for Hearts, mostly under now-Brechin adviser Craig Levein.
New boss Andy Kirk, who also knows his new player well, believes the arrival of McDonald is a real coup for the club after attempting to bring him to Glebe Park previously.
“We’re delighted to get someone of Anthony’s ability at Brechin,” he said.
“He’s an attacking midfielder who can play either side – he always wants to move forward with the ball and he’s very flexible.
“I know him from the Hearts Academy where he made his way through to the reserves and ultimately first team.
“We have tried a couple of times to bring him to the club and this time it has paid off.
“We’re fortunate to get a player of his quality and we’re looking forward to seeing what he can do for us.”
Max Kucheriavyi comparison
Kirk said his new attacker is still working to get himself up to full fitness, but will be an ‘exciting’ addition to the squad as they look to mark their return to the SPFL.
The Brechin boss likened his ability to St Johnstone’s Max Kucheriavyi who was a star performer during his short loan spell last season.
“He’s a wee bit away in terms of fitness so we will work with him over the next couple of weeks to get him up to speed,” Kirk revealed.
“He’s a very exciting player who can dribble, create opportunities and score goals.
“Since we lost Max, we’ve been looking to replace him and Anthony is that type of player.
“Anthony will be looking to play at a higher level again – he’s had a few injuries and setbacks and hopefully we can help him back to the levels he was at previously and if that’s the case, we’ve got one hell of a player there.”
Prior to leaving Tyncastle in 2020, McDonald had a stint with Spanish side Cordoba before returning to Scotland where he featured for Inverness in the Championship then helped Edinburgh City clinch promotion to League One.
Former Scotland and Dundee United boss Craig Levein not ruling out management return
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