MacDonald: Top flight is the place to be
FOR Peter MacDonald, the clue is in the name. Having given his all to achieve promotion to the Premiership with Dundee, he won’t hear talk of the Championship being the place to be next season.
The relegation of Hearts and Hibernian, allied to Rangers’ ascension from League One, has made for an intriguing second tier, with the promise of a competitive title race in which all three could have a say.
With Celtic ready to sprint to a fourth successive title, the same level of drama will be absent from the top flight but, for MacDonald, it is all about the general standard of play. ‘People are kidding themselves if they say they want to play in the Championship,’ he said. ‘That’s lies. You want to play at the highest level you can. For me, that’s Premiership football.’
The former St Johnstone striker has reason to relish his return to the top league because, after three seasons out of it and aged 33, he feared the opportunity might not arise again.
Dens Park boss Paul Hartley has shown faith in the veteran forward, retaining his services for next season after taking the decision to release fellow forwards Craig Beattie and Christian Nade.
A prolific striker at youth level for Rangers, MacDonald’s career was repeatedly interrupted by injury at McDiarmid Park but he is enjoying a run of fitness and form late in his career.
‘I feel fitter than I did at 25,’ added MacDonald, whose side added former Celtic midfielder Simon Ferry to their ranks from Portsmouth yesterday. ‘I look after myself better. I was injured for a fair bit at St Johnstone, which probably hampered my career. It wasn’t like two or three weeks out, it was seven, eight months a year.
‘I’ve loved this last year of my career and scored plenty of goals. Maybe those injuries have helped me prolong my playing days.
‘Until last month, winning the Under-21 league with Rangers had been my career highlight.
‘I won the First Division with St Johnstone but only played 15 or 16 games, so it didn’t mean as much.
‘Last season, I only missed one game, I contributed goals and had my son on the pitch at the end to make it extra special. I’ve always been a big fan of the First Division because there’s always something to play for at the end of the season but we’re back where Dundee belong.’
With Hamilton joining Dundee in the top flight and both Edinburgh clubs out of it, there could be an opportunity for Hartley’s men to look up the table but MacDonald urges calm and caution.
‘As a promoted club, we have to look at survival,’ he said. ‘We need to find our feet, survive and stay grounded.
‘We could potentially break into the top six but the aim is to survive and kick on in the second year.’