SCOTLAND STAR KEV’S TRANSPLANT AGONY
Midfielder reveals he’s been battling kidney disease for 12 years
FORMER Scotland midfielder Kevin McDonald fears his career could be over as he prepares to have a kidney transplant.
The Fulham midfielder, 32, has been living with kidney disease for 12 years and hoped to postpone surgery until after he finished playing.
But McDonald, who started his career at Dundee, has now revealed his condition has become so bad that he needs to act now.
And the playmaker, with five Scotland caps, admits he may never kick a ball again.
In an emotional interview, McDonald said: “I have been under doctor’s orders my whole career. No one sees this part of football.
“I have had people asking why am I not playing, why do I not go out on loan. But it is something we did not want to share until this moment.
“I need to prepare my mind to maybe not play again, which I am comfortable with.”
McDonald realised he had the life-threatening condition after having his medical when he joined Burnley from Dundee in 2008.
He said: “It showed I had blood and protein in my urine. It didn’t concern myself. I remember thinking, ‘I have some sort of kidney issue, give me a couple of tablets’.
“We hoped to get through my career and then get a transplant. But I have one kidney that does not work at all, and another that’s at probably 10 per cent now.
“I have been playing with Stage 1 to right now Stage 5 kidney disease.”
McDonald is aware the operation could end his 16-year playing career, which has seen the midfielder turn out for Dundee, Burnley, Sheffield United and Wolves.
But he said: “I have prepared myself my whole career, knowing this was the end goal. We wanted it to happen after football and do it at say 40 years old but it is going to come quicker.
“We are hoping to get it done by the end of April.
“I want it to get back to a normal life – I take 10 tablets a day.
“It is humbling having people offer you a kidney.
“And there are benefits in having a living donor, and getting it before dialysis, so there are so many pros to get it done sooner rather than later.
“Obviously the person who is going to end up doing it, I owe my life to them. I know when I get the transplant I might not want to come back and play football.
“The doctors are fully confident I can get back. But the priority is my wife and my family. If it means retiring at 32, then I have had a great career.”
IT was my son Carter’s ninth birthday last Friday and he was desperate to watch The Batman movie as a treat.
But I managed to persuade him to stick on the Hearts game with their trip to Inverness live on BBC Scotland.
Talk about ruining his big day! Poor boy. It wasn’t long before he was giving it Zzzzzzzs on the couch and I wasn’t far behind him.
It was absolutely dreadful and a horror flick would probably have been an easier watch. After 10 minutes I thought ‘I could easily turn this off and watch Batman!’
I wanted to watch the Hearts game for my own interest and for the sake of this column. After he blew out the candles on his cake I expected us to sit down and watch the Jambos blow Inverness away.
Carter’s a massive football fan and loves Hearts because his earliest memories are of watching me pulling on the maroon shirt.
But I was scratching my head and if Inverness had an extra 10 per cent they’d have won.
I expect Hearts to romp the league in the end but I’d be keen to see how the players would react if Raith won their two games in hand and cut the gap at the top to six points.
After drawing their previous two I decided to sit down and look to see what the plan is.
But I just couldn’t figure it out. I genuinely don’t know what kind of style they’re trying to play – they look devoid of ideas. I compare it to watching Ryan Kent’s goal for Rangers against Antwerp last week. It was absolutely outstanding and trust me when I say that doesn’t happen by fluke – that is working on a pattern of play every single day in training.
Then I watched Hearts 24 hours later and I had no idea what they were trying to do. It’s as if they’re just waiting on Liam Boyce or Jamie Walker producing a bit of individual quality.
Hearts have the biggest budget in that division by a mile so they’re facing players who aren’t as good as them and the law of averages means they should win most games.
But it should be easier to develop a style rather than waiting on someone pulling them out of the woods. And that won’t work when they step up in class next season.
Hearts should be stamping their authority all over the game, dictating it, but it was totally the opposite and it’s a familiar sight because they rarely control games.
I know Inverness on a Friday night isn’t easy but you’re playing on national TV and it’s a chance to show people sitting at home just how good a player you are.
The thing is Hearts aren’t being measured as a Championship team because they’re top flight in all but name and that is the biggest worry.
This season is about getting over the line but the last three have been poor. Nobody will complain if Hearts are promoted but Robbie Neilson’s biggest fear must be how they will perform in the top flight.
If they finish sixth in the Premiership that would be a failure – they need to be challenging for third. And I just don’t see this team being able to do that.
Neilson will be thinking he has to overhaul the full squad again in the summer but you can’t keep doing that all the time because this squad is expensive.
These boys must understand they’re playing for Hearts. What an opportunity they have. This year is a bit of a free run to show how good they are.
Outside of Boyce, Steven Naismith when he’s fit and Walker at times I don’t really see much. Could I see Hearts finishing fourth next season? No – they’re miles off it.
If they finish sixth in the Premiership that would be a failure – they need to challenge for third
ALEX BURKE was delighted he didn’t have to get up at the crack of dawn for once to watch Celtic in a live Sky Sports game for their recent clash with Ross County.
But he hopes Kilmarnock are wide awake to the threat of relegation ahead of their trip to Dingwall in a massive battle at the bottom between two of his former clubs.
The pair could occupy the bottom two places in the Premiership if Hamilton can get the better of Betfred Cup winners St Johnstone tonight.
They are separated by a single point with the Rugby Park men – eight defeats in a nine-game winless run – having played one more than the Staggies.
Burke was a Scottish Cup winner with Killie in 1997 and later spent two seasons in the Highlands where he failed to help County win promotion to the top flight.
The 43-year-old moved Stateside where he has spent seven years coaching in a life journey that’s taken him from Glasgow and Govan’s infamous Wine Alley to Washington DC.
But the distance hasn’t diluted his affection for his beloved Celtic who he still tunes in to watch.
Both his old clubs have changed managers but it was John Hughes who pulled off a big win against the Hoops while Tommy Wright is searching for his first three points. Burke told Record Sport: “I’ve got Celtic TV, I see all their games.
“When it’s a lunchtime kickoff in Scotland I set my alarm for 6.50am because we’re five hours behind so I sit with a cup of tea and some breakfast.
“But the Ross County match, like midweek European matches, was perfect timing because it was in the evening.
“Celtic missed a few chances but that’s always going to happen and Hughes has clearly got a reaction.
“The league was gone so I wasn’t bothered from that point of view, if it helps County stay up it’s a good win. They have won two out of their last four and Kilmarnock haven’t done that yet under Wright.
“You look out for your old teams’ scores and it’s not nice to see them both down there. It’s looking like one of them will be in the relegation play-off spot.
“But we all know after the split things can change and I hope they can do enough to get themselves out of trouble.
“This is a massive game, that old cliche of a six-pointer. Neither of them can really afford to lose because Hamilton could be above them soon.” Burke recalled Killie flirting with relegation in the season they won the Scottish Cup and only avoided a play-off spot on the final day. The Ayrshire side have been in the top flight for 28 consecutive years and Burke said: “I was talking to Gerry McCabe recently about our Scottish Cup-winning season.
“We were fighting relegation – hence why Bobby Williamson replaced Alex Totten – but pulled some big results out the bag.
“I scored along with Paul Wright in a 2-0 win over Celtic at Rugby Park. Ten days later we went to Ibrox and if it wasn’t for that we could’ve gone down. Gary Holt scored
a header to get us a draw with Aberdeen on the final day and that kept us out of the relegation play-off spot.
“Kilmarnock have done brilliantly to stay in the top flight for so long and qualified for Europe a few times.
“Now they’re down there which isn’t nice to see. But hopefully they pick up, they made a good appointment in Wright – but so have Ross County in Hughes.”
Burke moved to County while they were trying to make it into the Premiership. He said: “Alex Smith was manager and I joined a decent team. Jim Lauchlan, who I played with at Kilmarnock, was the captain and they had good young players like Don Cowie, John Rankin and Sean Higgins. “We were up there challenging but were pipped by a good Falkirk team and the following season St Mirren, who I later joined, won it under wee Gus MacPherson.” Burke’s now living the American dream. He added: “I came over to visit David Bagan and Darren Beesley who I played with at Killie. I coach kids’ soccer, as they call it, at a multi-sports club called Olney, in Maryland. “I live in Virginia, just across the water from Washington. From Govan’s Wine Alley to Washington, not bad!”
CHARLIE TRAFFORD sent beers to his old pal Shaun Rooney and hopes the St Johnstone hero still has a Betfred Cup hangover tonight.
Hamilton ace Trafford was buddies with Saints Hampden stars Rooney and Jamie McCart when they were all at Inverness last year. Trafford was thrilled to see his mates with the silverware on Sunday – but hopes their celebrations will help Accies get three vital Premiership points tonight. He said: “I was tight with Shaun and Jamie at Inverness. I am absolutely delighted for them. “I’ve been messaging them and sending Rooney crates of beer and vodka – hopefully he gets through them all by Wednesday! “I’m delighted for them but once the game comes it’s all business and we’re out to get a result.” Rooney has enjoyed a stunning rise as a wing back after turning out for Caley Thistle as a centre-half. The youngster has even been tipped to barge his way into Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad for the Euros. Trafford said: “It’s unbelievable how Shaun has done. It just shows how football can switch quickly.
“Even earlier this season he wasn’t getting that many games. Now he’s a cult hero – and there’s even talk about the national team.
“He worked hard to be ready for the opportunity and he’s really taken it. He deserves everything that comes his way.”
Accies boss Brian Rice doesn’t think Trafford’s party plan will work – he believes Callum Davidson’s Saints will be enjoying a Betfred bounce.
He said: “We were in a few cup finals at Nottingham Forest and it was great to be going into games having won a trophy and on a high.
“You want to be playing every game and I’m sure that’s how they’ll be feeling.
“I’m sure that’s how Callum will want them to use it as a springboard. I think they’ll be on a high and rightly so.”
Hamilton slumped back to the foot of the table without playing at the weekend and while Rice’s men know what it takes to stay up, the boss is not banking on past history saving them again.
Rice said: “I know that we’ve done it year after year here but we can’t keep saying that.
“Apart from anything else, this is completely different from any other season we’ve ever had.
“The past is the past: we’re dealing with the present and we’ve got to make sure we’re good enough to stay in this league and if we can maintain our recent performances – and that’s all I can ask – then we’ll have every chance.”
Trafford is convinced Accies have the mental chops to get out of bother.
He said: “There’s a real resilience within the club. If you look at the injuries and adversities we’ve had, it doesn’t seem to affect the morale.
“We just roll up our sleeves. That’s the strength we have as a group and we’ll need that 100 per cent these last 10 games.”