Scott Douglas McDonald (born 21 August 1983) is an Australian former professional soccer player and is the current head coach for National Premier Leagues club Gold Coast Knights. Originally a striker, McDonald could also play as an attacking midfielder.
Born in Dandenong, McDonald commenced his senior footballing career with Gippsland Falcons in the National Soccer League before moving to Great Britain in 2001. He subsequently played for a wide range of clubs, including representing Southampton in the Premier League and Celtic and Motherwell in the Scottish top flight.
McDonald represented Australia 26 times between 2006 and 2012. He was a member of the squad for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup, where Australia finished second, as well as the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship, 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship and 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship.
McDonald was born in Dandenong, and began his career at Doveton SC, before joining Cranbourne Soccer Club (known today as Casey Comets) and the Victorian Institute of Sport.
Aged just 15 years and 212 days, McDonald made his National Soccer League debut for the Gippsland Falcons in their 3–0 home loss to Wollongong Wolves on 21 March 1999. He came on as a 57th minute substitute for Robbie Puca.
He made three appearances for the Falcons on loan from the Victorian Institute of Sport.
He is the youngest senior player in the history of the Gippsland Falcons and the third youngest player to make their senior debut in Australian football history.
McDonald started off as a trainee with Southampton in 2001 where he managed only three appearances (one first-team start and two as a substitute), being loaned to Huddersfield Town where again he had chances to play first team football. McDonald scored just once for Huddersfield, in a 2–1 defeat to Tranmere Rovers and AFC Bournemouth (scoring once against Shrewsbury). Upon reaching the end of his contract with Southampton he signed for Wimbledon on a rolling monthly contract.
He had talks with Drogheda United in 2003 but failed to agree terms.
McDonald went on trial with Scottish Premier League club Dundee United, but failed to win a contract and instead signed for league rivals Motherwell in January 2004. After signing for Motherwell, McDonald had a slow start, scoring only one goal during the second half of the 2003–04 season despite impressive performances. The following season he scored 15 goals. McDonald famously scored two late goals against Celtic at the end of the 2004–05 season to deny them the Scottish Premier League title which was instead won by their arch-rivals Rangers. In the 2005–06 season, McDonald scored 11 goals in 35 appearances, and in the following season, scored 15 goals in 32 appearances. His goal against Falkirk on 25 November 2006, was the 5000th goal in the SPL since its formation in 1998. In total, McDonald scored 45 goals in 125 appearances for Motherwell.
In December 2007, McDonald was named BBC Sportsound Player of the Year for his eight man-of-the-match performances throughout the 2006–07 season.
In March 2007, after a £400,000 bid from Rangers had been rejected in January, Motherwell accepted an offer of £700,000 from McDonald's boyhood favourites Celtic, with McDonald moving to Celtic Park at the start of the 2007–08 season.
McDonald made his competitive debut for Celtic in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League third qualifying-round match against Spartak Moscow at Luzhniki Stadium, assisting Paul Hartley for Celtic's goal as the game finished 1–1. His first goal for the club came in the second leg of the tie at Celtic Park. A mistake by Spartak defender Roman Shishkin allowed McDonald to slip in and hit the ball first time past Stipe Pletikosa. This match also ended 1–1, but Celtic won 4–3 on penalties. Just days later in an away league match against St Mirren, McDonald latched onto a long Gary Caldwell pass to lob Chris Smith from a tight angle and score his first SPL goal for the club. He followed that up with the winning goal in the final minute of their 2–1 UEFA Champions League group-stage win against A.C. Milan on 3 October and another last minute winner just days later at Gretna. In a pulsating clash with Old Firm rivals Rangers on 16 April 2008, McDonald set up his Dutch strike partner Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink for a last minute goal that kept Celtic in the 2007–08 SPL title race, before scoring a double and winning a penalty scored by Barry Robson in another vital 3–2 Old Firm victory eleven days later. At the end of the season, McDonald was rewarded with a new five-year deal at Parkhead and was nominated for SPL Player of the Year. He scored 25 goals in 36 league appearances in his first season at Celtic and was the top goalscorer during the 2007–08 season, beating the next highest goalscorer and strike partner Vennegoor of Hesselink by 10 goals. This breakthrough season included two hat-tricks; against Dundee United and former club Motherwell. In total, McDonald scored 31 times in his first season at Parkhead.
McDonald wore the number 27 shirt in his first season with Celtic, but in July 2008 he was given number 7, which he also wore at Motherwell. After a sluggish start to the 2008–09 season, not scoring in any of the first four games, he opened his account against Motherwell, scoring Celtic's third goal in a 4–2 win at Fir Park. On 5 November 2008 McDonald scored the opening goal in a 1–1 draw with Manchester United at Celtic Park in the Champions League with a well executed lob over Ben Foster. Only three days later, McDonald continued to haunt his former club Motherwell with a low strike from outside the penalty area. Celtic won this match 2–0. On 27 December 2008, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory at Ibrox during the Old Firm derby, helping his team bring the three points home. On 27 January 2009, McDonald scored twice in the dramatic 11–10 penalty shoot-out victory against Dundee United to send Celtic through to the League Cup final, which they won 2–0 against archrivals Rangers. This win gave McDonald his first domestic cup trophy at Celtic.
McDonald scored his 49th and 50th Celtic goals at Pittodrie against Aberdeen on 2 May as Celtic ran out 3–1 winners. On 3 July, McDonald was handed the Celtic captaincy for a pre-season game against Brisbane Roar, due to the injury to Stephen McManus and the departure of vice-captain Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink. On 5 August, he scored the opening goal against Dynamo Moscow in Russia, a game which Celtic went on to win 2–0, to progress to the final qualifying round of the Champions League. On 5 December, McDonald scored his 50th league goal for Celtic against Aberdeen. McDonald scored a total of 64 goals for Celtic.
In early January 2010, Celtic rejected a transfer bid from Premier League side Wigan Athletic for the Australian striker, but on 1 February – transfer deadline day – Celtic sold McDonald to Middlesbrough for a reported £3.5 million. He joined up with Gordon Strachan, whom he played under at Celtic and Southampton, and also rejoined four of his former teammates, Willo Flood, Barry Robson, Chris Killen and Stephen McManus. On 16 February 2010, he missed a penalty against Blackpool in a 2–0 loss. McDonald scored his first Middlesbrough goal in the Tyne-Tees derby against Newcastle on 13 March. After a return from injury, McDonald scored three times in four games against Crystal Palace, Sheffield Wednesday and Coventry City.
McDonald made a bright start to the 2010–11 season scoring twice in his first two games against Ipswich and Chesterfield in the League Cup. On 9 November 2010, he scored the second in Middlesbrough's 2–0 win over Scunthorpe. On 1 March 2011, McDonald scored the opener in his team's 1–1 draw with Nottingham Forest, he followed this by scoring the leveller in his team's 2–1 victory at home to Watford on 19 March 2011. McDonald followed this by scoring twice in two games, in two draws against Ipswich Town and Barnsley. On 23 April 2011, McDonald scored a hat-trick in Middlesbrough's 2–4 away win at Hull.