Striding into the First Division after only two seasons of Highland League football, midfielder Kevin impressed immediately with his combativeness and almost cocky confidence. The later attribute stuck with him throughout his City career, from the moment he stepped up to convert a crucial penalty in his first full home game. and was later evidenced by some memorable cool defensive work (including a number of heart-stopping back headers to Mark Wallington) when he filled in at centre-back for Larry May during the 1983 promotion run-in.
Indeed, once Kevin had masterd hs occasinally fiery temper (he was the first City player to be twice sent off), he proved himself a genuinely classy operator, with only a marginal lack of pace detratcing from his reportoire of control, vision and ball winning ability.
A £400.000 cheque took him to Anfield, where injuries cruelly hampered his progress in a formidably strong squad. Even so, he picked up and FA Cup winner’s medal in 1986, before a broken leg one more heralded a long lay-off. Kevin had still to return to the senior Liverpool line-up when he came back to Filbert Street for a loan spell under caretaker manager Peter Morris, and unfortunately showed every sign of rustiness in the three defeats in which h played.
Eventually freed from Anfield in 1989, he remained for a while in First Division contention at Highfield Road with Coventry City, then turned down a proffered player / coach role at Cardiff City befoe moving to Bescot Stadium.
Kevin retired after Walsall’s 1993 Play-off exit, and rejoined Leicester that summer as a youth coach. In December 1994, in the wake of Brian Little’s departure, he and Tony McAndrew jointly assumed the club’s caretaker management role for three Premiership fixtures, but both men resigned in January 1995.
In his life after Leicester City, Kevin has mostly been involved at Aston Villa, and seen most of his time as a manager of the 2nd strings with acting roles at 1st team manager in between permanent managers comings and goings. For a short while, back in 2013, he was in charge of Swindon Town.
Sadly Kevin MacDonald had leave his post at Aston Villa due to an investigation of allegations of “bullying behavior” towards a number of former players who had come forward with allegations. Despite this sad episode he had given his full life to football and at Leicester City fans had good and happy memories of a player that gave it all and rised to the top of the football pyramid.
FACTFILE:
- Full Name: Kevin Duncan MacDonald
- Position: Midfield
- Date of Birth: 22.11.1960
- Birthplace: Inverness
- Nation: Scotland
- Caps / Goals: –
- Major League Career:
- 1979-84, Leicester City (138/8)
- 1984-89, Liverpool (40/1)
- 1989-91, Coventry City (31/0)
- 1991-93, Walsall (53/7)
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