AS the team with the worst defensive record in the Scottish Premiership, Aberdeen knew they had to fix things at the back as the January transfer window wound down to a close.
And they did that by landing a host of new recruits, one of whom is centre-back Angus MacDonald.
SNSMacDonald has joined Aberdeen to help shore up the Dons defence[/caption]
Snapped up on a free transfer from Swindon on deadline day, the Dons brought MacDonald in to bolster their leaky defence along with Watford loanee Mattie Pollock and ‘keeper Jay Gorter from Ajax.
An experienced campaigner, MacDonald, now aged 30, also arrives after an incredible journey to this point in his career.
With almost 300 career appearance to his name, the former England youth international has a wealth of football experience under his belt.
A large chunk of that experience has come at the second-highest level of the English game.
He featured in the Championship for Barnsley, Hull City and Rotherham United.
But MacDonald’s career on the pitch is just part of his remarkable story, as SunSport explores.
Health battle
A no-nonsense defender on the pitch, MacDonald faced his toughest battle off of it in 2019.
In August of that year, he was getting ready to return to action for Hull having been forced onto the sidelines with a dislocated shoulder and and deep vein thrombosis.
However, his journey back to fitness was hampered by an inflamed bowel.
MacDonald underwent tests, and on August 23, 2019 he received devastating news.
The defender was diagnosed with cancer, at the age of just 26.
In an interview with the BBC, he described it as a “shock” and a “nightmare.”
MacDonald subsequently underwent a gruelling operation that lasted more than eight hours to remove the entire bowel.
Getty – ContributorMacDonald suffered the major health scare while at Hull City[/caption]
It was several weeks later when he had a second operation to implement a new bowel.
That op got the go-ahead on his 27th birthday and just before Christmas, he got the news he craved.
MacDonald got the all-clear, with Hull praising his “tremendous courage and strength of character during the most challenging of periods”.
Now, he’s set up his own charity foundation which has already raised more than a million pounds.
He said: “Three years ago I got diagnosed with bowel cancer. I remember sitting in the hospital thinking, ‘I’m lucky’, because they caught it early.
“There are people who are not so lucky and don’t get diagnosed so early.
“I set up the foundation to get more people checked and to raise awareness about it.
“We want people to get tested.
“Even for people who are going through operations and treatments, we’re there offering them somebody to speak to.
“I’m very hands on. All decisions are run through me. We set it up in lockdown.
“By the time lockdown was over it was kind of hard to get fund-raisers and some events going. It was difficult to build the charity as such.
“Then with football so mainstream over the past 12 to 18 months it has been manic again.
“We’re still working on other things and speaking to other charities.
“We’re still growing the charity into something we can really build up.”
Such was his determination to get back, he was training with his teammates the very next month and 556 days after his last game, he was back on the pitch on March 6 when the Tigers faced Birmingham City in an under-23s match.
His Hull career never really got going again, but a switch to fellow Championship outfit in the summer of 2020 rejuvenated his career as he became a regular starter, making 40 appearances in his first campaign with the Millers.
Famous friends
Alongside his footballing fame, MacDonald was also in the public eye after dating X Factor winner Alexandra Burke.
The two were an item for over a year before breaking up towards the end of 2020.
GettyMacDonald previously dated X Factor star Alexandra Burke[/caption]
Alexandra had gone public with the relationship in July 2019 with the couple pictured enjoying a romantic meal together.
The West End singer is now with Bournemouth goalkeeper Darren Randolph.
Angus, meanwhile, is happily coupled up with stunning girlfriend Georgi.
The Dons defender regularly posts loved up snaps with his partner on social media.
Scots heritage
With a name like Angus MacDonald, it might not surprise you to learn that he does indeed come from Scottish heritage.
The 30-year old is in fact eligible to represent Scotland internationally through a grandfather.
Born in Winchester, MacDonald has previously represented England at youth level.
He won six caps at the under-16 age group, before playing four times at under-19 level.
MacDonald also won two caps for the England ‘C’ team, a side made up of players playing in non-league football.
He made those appearances between 2013 and 2014 when he was plying his trade for Salisbury City.
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