Donaldson’s revelling in his home comforts
IT’S fair to say Clayton Donaldson made great strides during the 14 years he spent away from York City. He established himself in the Football League, scoring more than 100 goals, and represented Jamaica at international level, but never forgot about his former club.
Two prolific seasons with the Minstermen helped launch his career and he gladly returned to the city this summer to grace the club’s new York Community Stadium.
“I just felt like there was a chapter left open,” Donaldson told The NLP. “It was quite sudden when I left, so I always wanted to come and give back to York really. I felt like there was unfinished business. I grabbed the opportunity to come back with both hands. I have fond memories here. The new stadium’s open and they’re looking to push on.”
Donaldson played regularly in League Two for Bradford City last season and had offers to stay at that level. But the chance to rejoin York, where he became a fan favourite during his first spell, was too good to turn down. He knows the size and potential of the club, and he’s keen to get them heading in the right direction again.
“I wanted to go and enjoy my football at a club where I’m well known,” he added. “York haven’t had the greatest of times over the last few years, so I want to help them get back to where they need to be. They’re run better than some of the League clubs I’ve been at, so the foundations are there already. We should be playing a lot higher.
Staff and supporters feel the same. After two seasons cut short by coronavirus, York are desperate to make up for lost time. Alongside AFC Fylde, they were considered favourites to win the National League North title, but endured a terrible start with three consecutive losses.
“We had a good pre-season, going unbeaten,” Donaldson adds. “Then we picked up a few injuries at the wrong time. There’s no excuse, you’ve still got to go out and perform, but it obviously disrupted our play to a certain extent. We believe we’ve got a squad that can compete and to not get a result in the first three games dents confidence. The fans are going to get on your back a little bit, and rightly so.”
Spirits
Fortunately, a 3-1 win at Spennymoor Town on Bank Holiday Monday lifted spirits and saw Donaldson score his first competitive goal, tapping in from close range.
“It was massive,” he went on. “Any win after a defeat is great, but after a run of three the pressure’s on a bit. To get that three points at Spennymoor, which is a tough place to go, was a massive confidence boost to the players. We can build on that.”
Now that he’s off the mark, Donaldson will hope to emulate the superb form he showed first time round. Although York failed to win promotion, losing in the playoff semi-finals to Morecambe in his second season, he was almost unstoppable, scoring 44 goals in 93 games across all competitions. More than that, he was a tireless worker and a popular teammate.
He continued: “I was young, and I’d just left Hull City. I wanted a fresh start and to be playing regularly. I came to York and hit the ground running. I made a name for myself. Everyone at the club was friendly and the players made it easy to fit in. The manager, Billy McEwan, had a lot of belief in me as well, which definitely helped.
While the memories of Bootham Crescent will endure, the club are looking to the future and hope that moving to the York Community Stadium will provide new impetus over the coming years.
At 37, Donaldson’s enthusiasm and desire to contribute show no signs of fading. He wants to keep playing for as long as possible.
Energy
“I’ve still got the love for the game. I won’t pack it in until my body says, ‘Enough’s enough’,” he adds. “Wherever I’ve been, all the players and staff have been quite surprised at how fit I am at my age,” says the striker.
“Whenever I’ve spoken to players who’ve retired, the one thing they always say is ‘Don’t retire too early. If you’ve still got the legs and the energy, and most of all, the love for the game, keep going.’ That’s the advice I’m going to take.
“I’ve been doing my coaching badges and I’m due to do more next year. I want to stay in football, whether that’s management or coaching.
“Having been involved for this long, I think it would be silly to walk away without giving back some of my experience and knowledge to the youngsters.”