Penybont have begun their winter transfer window business with the signing of former Wales international midfielder Shaun MacDonald on an 18-month deal.
The 33-year-old was born in Swansea, and he spent the early part of his career with his hometown club, making 40 appearances between 2005 and 2011. His time at Swansea also included three seasons on loan with Yeovil Town.
After leaving Swansea, he spent five years with Bournemouth, seeing the Cherries rise from League One all the way to the Premier League, making over 100 appearances in all competitions for Bournemouth.
The midfielder then joined Wigan Athletic, but missed the entirety of the 2017-18 season due to a horrific leg break. MacDonald then joined Rotherham in 2019, before moving to Crewe Alexandra in June 2021. However, his spell with the Railwaymen was cut short after MacDonald opted to retire from professional football in September.
Cymru Premier – Fixtures and Results – 2021/2022 season
MacDonald made his international debut in a 4-1 loss to Switzerland in 2010. He had to wait five years before his second cap, which came against Israel in the qualifying campaign for EURO 2016. MacDonald also played a part in the 1-0 victory over Cyprus in the same campaign, before his final international appearance came in a friendly against Ukraine in 2016.
MacDonald also played 25 times for Wales’ under-21 side – holding the record for the most appearances for the youth side.
He joins a Penybont side currently fourth in the Cymru Premier. Penybont already have a strong contingent of former Swansea players, including Mael Davies, Dan Jefferies and Jack Evans.
Speaking to the club’s social media pages, MacDonald spoke of his excitement to join Penybont; “It’s something that’s been ongoing for a couple of months now. I’m really looking forward to get going and meeting for the boys.
“I want to stay fit and keep ticking over, I think I’ve still got a lot to offer. I think it’s an ambitious club, and hopefully we’ve got many succesful times ahead.
“I just want to come in and pass my experience to the lads. If I can help in any way on or off the pitch, then I’ll do that.”
Shaun MacDonald becomes the sixth former Welsh international to join the Cymru Premier, joining David Cotterill, Jazz Richards, Neal Eardley, Dave Edwards, and Steve Evans.
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