QUEEN OF THE SOUTH goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald will permit himself a wry smile of satisfaction as he walks out at Hampden Park for Saturday's Scottish Cup final against Rangers.
The 22-year-old is on loan from Hearts, where he failed to pin down a first-team spot before moving to the Irn-Bru First Division club in January 2007.
MacDonald claims to be at least six feet tall but believes his lack of height in comparison to
most modern-day keepers has affected his career prospects at Tynecastle. But the youngster insists his cup final appearance will at last prove his doubters wrong, especially those at Hearts.
He said: "Through the years at Hearts I've always had coaches saying, 'you will find it hard because you're not as big as you'd want to be'. They always want to cast some doubts over you and it's been hard trying to deal with that. It's been good to prove people wrong and to prove to myself that you don't need to be six foot four and massively built to succeed.
"You cannot control your size. If you grow you grow. I'm six foot, maybe pushing six foot one. I rely a lot on my speed and agility and it's all about playing to your strengths. So it's good to give two fingers to people who have maybe put me down in my career. When you are younger you see guys released at Hearts and elsewhere because they are not big enough. But they've gone to other clubs and done well.
"It's your ability and attitude rather than size which will take you a long way in the game."
MacDonald added: "When Craig Gordon was 15 he was only five foot 10 and there was a lot of doubt about him even getting a YTS contract at Hearts at the time. They eventually took him on and Craig was very fortunate that he grew to six foot four. I've not had the same luck.
"But people develop at different times. I think it's unfair when you are 15 for people to pass judgement, you should be judged on your ability.
"Look at Andy Goram. He wasn't a giant either but he was one of the best keepers Scotland ever had."
The full article contains 388 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
