WAITING GAME
O’Donnell prepared to bide his time as he seeks ‘bigger club’ than Killie
SCOTLAND international Stephen O’Donnell will start training with Hamilton Academical this week while on the lookout for a ‘bigger club’ than his previous employers Kilmarnock. The right-back left Rugby Park at the expiry of his contract and is keen that the next stop in his career will enhance his claims for remaining in former Killie boss Steve Clarke’s Scotland plans.
O’Donnell rejected the chance to join Oxford United on approach to deadline day in January, citing domestic reasons and concerns over dropping into League One in England.
The 28-year-old became a father for the first time nine months ago and did not wish to uproot his family at that stage. However, the English second tier could offer O’Donnell a landing spot this close season.
Middlesbrough, currently battling relegation under new appointment Neil Warnock, were heavily linked with the defender last year.
Until the Championship season down south is played to its coronavirus-delayed conclusion, O’Donnell will stay sharp by working with local club Accies.
He said: ‘I’m looking forward to going into Hamilton, trying to find my touch again, feeding off some of that youthful exuberance they have there and also learning something from Brian Rice.
‘I am waiting patiently. There’s a difference in the Scottish and
English transfer windows and the Championship down there is finishing right now.
‘My agent is speaking to clubs and the English market is one that is starting to pick up a bit.
‘In the Scottish one, you see some movement with Jonny Hayes going to Aberdeen and Hibs making three signings. It’s great that clubs are starting to sign out-of-contract players and offer contracts.
‘In the back of my head I’ve got the Scotland squad. I’d be naive to think I won’t need to be playing to be in that so I’d like to have a club before the next one is named.
‘With sounding too disrespectful to Kilmarnock, I’d like to try and find a bigger club. That would be one of the main targets. But every option has its own pros and cons.’
O’Donnell was a Lee McCulloch signing for Kilmarnock who flourished during Clarke’s reign.
He earned promotion to the Scotland squad under Alex McLeish and kept his place when his former club boss took charge.
Capped 11 times, the defender told BBC Sportsound that he knew a year ago that last season would be his final campaign with Killie.
‘I kind of made the decision towards the end of Steve Clarke’s reign that I wasn’t wanting to stay beyond my contract,’ he said.
‘He had a couple of talks with me over signing a new contract and I told him I was wanting to try something new, get a new experience. At that stage I’d had a very successful couple of seasons. He then left and that made the decision I’d made easier because I had got on so well with him.
‘I played the next six months and there wasn’t even any question of me signing. Alex Dyer came in and that rejuvenated it a bit more.
‘I’d have loved to have stayed but by then it was too far down the line. I wanted a new chapter, to see what that would bring.
‘I obviously didn’t expect it to bring anything like the coronavirus. But, having made the decision to leave, you really need to stand by it.’