Evening Telegraph (First Edition)

Peaso: My best days were in a Dark Blue shirt

- BY GEORGE CRAN

AFTER 19 years i n the game, Peter MacDonald is hanging up his boots.

Having played for St Johnstone for 10 years, had two spells at Morton before turning out for Clyde, Stirling and most-recently East Stirlingsh­ire, MacDonald says the best day of his career came in the dark blue of Dundee at Dens Park.

Turning 40 this year, the former Rangers youth player and recently academy coach has moved into football consultanc­y with Base Soccer Agency.

It’s a move ‘Peaso’ is delighted to have made, even if he misses the game.

He said: “I am retiring this year, I’m almost 40 and, with the inconsiste­ncy of football, it’s time to retire.

“I had been on effectivel­y zerohour contracts with the coaching so I wouldn’t have been getting paid through the lockdown.

“I had made the decision before all this, though, and I am loving things so far.

“I do miss the game massively, being out on the pitch and in the dressing-room environmen­t.

“I had been working three jobs and was all over the place so it’s time to call it a day.”

Looking back over a career where he scored 136 goals i n 438 appearance­s, winning three league titles and a Challenge Cup, he looks back most fondly on the day he scored the goal that saw Dundee win the Championsh­ip in 2014.

However, he admits not everyone was too impressed John Brown had signed a 33-year-old striker from Morton to fire the Dark Blues back to the top flight following relegation in 2012/13.

“I got a good offer to go to Dundee,” said MacDonald, who had scored 14 league goals for Ton the previous campaign.

“I had taken a step down to come back up after leaving St Johnstone and had done well at Morton and Bomber had shown me the plans he had.

“We had met in April the season before and he showed me what he was going to build and who he was going to sign for next season. It was a league-winning squad, no doubt, so it was a no-brainer to go to Dundee.

“I had an unbelievab­le time and I do wish I had gone there earlier in my career. I was 33 years old when

 ??  ?? Peter MacDonald can still remember Dundee’s title win vividly.
Peter MacDonald can still remember Dundee’s title win vividly.
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