Alan McDonald (Northern Irish footballer)

Infobox Football biography
playername = Alan McDonald


fullname = Alan McDonald
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1963|10|12
cityofbirth = Belfast
countryofbirth = Northern Ireland
dateofdeath =
cityofdeath =
countryofdeath =
currentclub = Glentoran (manager)
height =
nickname =
position = Central Defender (Retired)
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1981-1997
1983
1997-1998
clubs = Queens Park Rangers
→ Charlton Athletic (loan)
Swindon Town
Career
caps(goals) = 402 (13)
009 0(0)
033 0(1)
444 (14)
nationalyears = 1986-1996
nationalteam = Northern Ireland
nationalcaps(goals) = 052 0(3)
manageryears = 2007-present
|
managerclubs = Glentoran

Alan McDonald (born October 12, 1963 in Belfast) is current manager of Irish Premier League side Glentoran and former footballer with Queens Park Rangers and Northern Ireland. He was appointed manager of Glentoran in June 2007.

Club career

A 6' 2", 180lbs defender, 'Macca' joined QPR in the early 1980s as a youth and spent 17 years with the club. Unable to break into the first-team early on in his career, he got his first league experience while on loan at Charlton Athletic. McDonald and QPR reached the final of the League Cup in 1986. By the late 1980s McDonald was playing as stopper in QPR's sweeper system. The club's best finish came in 1993 when they ended in fifth place in the Premiership. Their worst came in 1996 when they were relegated. [ [http://www.queensparkrangersfc.com/macca.htm QPR profile] ]

McDonald went to Swindon Town on a free transfer in 1997, making 36 appearances and scoring once in his last season as player, 1997-98. [ [http://www.swindon-town-fc.co.uk/PlayingRecord.asp?PersonID=MCDONALA&Season=1997-1998 Swindon Town record] ]

International career

McDonald played 52 times for Northern Ireland and has been assistant coach of the Under 21 side since 2002. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/irish/4676548.stm BBC News] ]

Coaching career

Upon retiring, he became Swindon's reserves coach, leaving the club in 2002. He briefly returned to Loftus Road in 2006 as assistant to Gary Waddock but was released upon the arrival of John Gregory. McDonald was appointed as first team coach of Irish Premier League side Glentoran in February 2007 working under manager Paul Millar. Following Millar's departure Glentoran eventually appointed McDonald as manager in June 2007. [ [http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/local/article2670537.ece "Belfast Telegraph"] ]

References