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MacDonald: I'd rather be at Hearts than in Europe



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Published Date: 14 April 2008
By BARRY ANDERSON
JAMIE MacDONALD is willing to forego the chance of a historic UEFA Cup campaign with Queen of the South if Hearts offer him first-team football.
The goalkeeper's contract at Tynecastle expires in June 2009 and he believes another loan move to Palmertson Park could easily be negotiated for next season should he desire. However, his preference is to become established at SPL level.

Queen of the South won a dramatic Scottish Cup semi-final 4-3 against Aberdeen on Saturday, guaranteeing MacDonald a Cup final appearance and securing the club a coveted European place, provided Rangers win the other semi-final against St Johnstone.

Whilst the opportunity to represent Queen of the South in the UEFA Cup would appeal strongly, MacDonald intends to return to Hearts this summer and challenge for the goalkeeping slot.

"It's an awkward position for me to be in," said the 21-year-old, who has never played competitively for the Edinburgh club. "I've got a year left at Hearts so, to be honest, the ball is in their court. It's up to them where I play next season because I'm contracted to them. At the end of the day, I'm a Hearts player and I want to be involved there. I'd like to go back and try to push for a first-team place.

"Hearts is what I've known for the last six years. They're a Premier League club. Queen of the South might be in Europe next year but I'd like to be playing in the SPL."

Stephen Frail, Hearts' interim manager, is refusing to take a decision on MacDonald's future just yet. He expressed his delight at seeing the Scotland under-21 goalkeeper reach the national cup final with a First Division club.

"I'm delighted for Jamie and for Queen of the South's manager, Gordon Chisholm, who is one of my best friends in football," said Frail. "I speak to Gordon regularly about Jamie and he has been really pleased with him. He has played his part in some impressive league form and obviously a run to the cup final. It's great to see a good lad doing well.

"There's no decision on Jamie for next season. I know Queen of the South rate him highly, but we'll let him enjoy the end of the season with them and then the cup final. After that we can sit down and discuss it."

HEARTS reserves are in action against Inverness Caledonian Thistle tomorrow at Forthbank Stadium in Stirling. The match is scheduled for a 2pm kick-off.




The full article contains 433 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

 
1

TheMoth,

Petrie's wallet 14/04/2008 12:05:42
I'd lose Basso to be honest, despite showing glimpses of great potential he must be in the higher earner bracket and if we have Banks as coach and Jamie and the talented Iclandic boy who's name I can never pronounce fighting over the number 1 jersey then I think that is all we will need really.

Money needs to be made available for a new manager to do his thing and unfortunately i think that big Basso is expendable.

Well done Jamie and i hope you and the QOS boys win the cup... make you the only successfull jambo from this season... Well and Bednar... Thats the lunacy of our season this year our two most successfull players are out on loan at a time when we are treated to the delights of Kurskis and Benniusis! It's not rocket science really is it?
2

The Barred O' Leith,

14/04/2008 12:26:03
Stay with QOS. At least you'll have a CHANCE to play in europe.
3

Old Reekies Big Team,

14/04/2008 12:29:34
#2 Stay with QOS and you've a better chance of winning the cup than Hibs ever will have you parasite.
4

TheMoth,

Petrie's wallet 14/04/2008 12:30:17
Great game jamie and a great run... perhaps that...erm... Zib... no... eh... Brown?... no... Oh yes that McNeil guy could take a look at you and see how a decent young Scottish goalkeeper should play... Lets face it he needs all the help he can get and i can't see him having much he can learn from Makalamity.
5

The Barred O' Leith,

14/04/2008 12:59:11
3. Calling your own keeper a parasite? Tut tut.
6

,

14/04/2008 13:13:16
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7

Maroon tinted glasses,

14/04/2008 13:18:48
#6 bubblin
cant seem to find the approved planning application for fester road on the council website! can you help me out and direct me to where it is?
8

Victoria Ian,

14/04/2008 13:30:06
ha ha- only the Evening News could come out with this!

So rather than one European tie, he'd rather move to an SPL club???? That's odd.
9

Chas Niceass,

14/04/2008 13:45:53
Well done Jamie, even on loan at Queen of the South a Jambo has a better chance of winning the Big Cup than Hibs.
You couldn't make it up!
10

Prof,

14/04/2008 13:57:34
Well done young Jamie and QOS. Aberdeen effectively did a Hibernian. They spent all last week blowing and bragging about winning the cup, then turned up in their empty seat outfits only to see their team play like absolute prats.
11

Jam Tarts 1874,

On the Rebound 14/04/2008 14:10:27
#2 & #6.

Clubs that have won the Scottish Cup since 1902, Hearts, Rangers, Celtic, Aberdeen, Dundee Utd, Third Lanark, Dundee, Falkirk, Kilmarnock, Partick Thistle, Morton, Airdrie, St.Mirren, East Fife, Clyde, Motherwell, Dunfermline. Hmmm, don't appear to have hibs name of this list.

On Europe, hibs have qualified to play in Europe 4 times during the past 20 years, Hearts have qualified 11 times over the same period. Your point is caller?
12

Blondie,

14/04/2008 15:00:38
Good for Jamie - I've been saying for ages that I'd like to see him return to Tynecastle and prove what he's made of. I'd much rather see players like him at Tynecastle, who have a bit of fight and spirit about them and actually WANT to play for the jersey, rather than some of the present incumbents who are happy to pick up their big pay cheques every week without performing on the day!
13

Aliistair,

sunny Leith 14/04/2008 15:43:43
Jamie who??



14

,

14/04/2008 15:47:37
Comment Removed By Administrator
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15

eck,

capital 14/04/2008 16:20:08
14 a GOALKEEPER you wouldnt know one would you?
16

Hysterical Jambow,

14/04/2008 16:30:11
If the focus is now supposed to be on you players, and more scottish rather than other nations. Surely he is wortha gamble rather than persisting with Basso?

Think McDonald should be brought back to us next season as 2nd choice to an experienced keeper not with another youngster. Too important a position not to have some top level experience in.
17

Attilla the Hen,

Gorgie Road End, St. Etienne 14/04/2008 17:50:39
Why is the Hootsmon still supplying us with Frail's non-informative, pedestrian quotes? Lazy journalism perhaps or are they part of the 'Frail for Manager' movement?

Can we please have a new manager appointed asap? And I would sooner see Alex MacDonald back or even his pet dog than Mark McGhee. So there!
18

scorchio,

West of the Pecos 14/04/2008 18:16:48
#14 Ya plank! A Hibbie daring to berate a goalkeeper...Meeeeeaaaawwwhhhhh!
Let me see...
Hibs & The Scottish Cup mmmmm
Hibs & Goalkeepers mmmm
I thought you had a great game Jamie boy, and I don't think it was missed by folks down in Gorgie either.
19

UmeåJambo,

Sweden 14/04/2008 18:43:01
His name was dropped a couple of years back as a good replacement for Craig Gordon. Haven't a clue how good he is to be honest, but if he is any good then bring him back.

Something must be done to get him out of that green shirt he is wearing just now anyway, is that a Romanov punishment or what?
20

DA,

Edinburgh 14/04/2008 19:36:14
Can someone please clear this up for me.
I thought we had done away with cup runners-up going into Europe.

Coefficient on a downward spiral if QOS play in Europe.

Perhaps they should look for a pay-off from team finishing fourth in the league to opt out?
21

Jambo-ree,

14/04/2008 22:25:58
#21 Think the position is that under the UEFA rules, the SFA were too late for this season to change their own qualification rules and that it will be next season before the Cup runners-up will not qualify.
22

Hibernia,

15/04/2008 07:24:28
#19 not that I want to argue about goalkeepers but I do recall Henry dropping a couple of major clangers in semi finals in the past.

I thought that McDonald looked good for QoS on Saturday. I guess it will all depend on who the next permanent manager is and who he wants as his No.1 though.
23

,

15/04/2008 09:16:24
Comment Removed By Administrator
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24

SELLS GOALKEEPER PRODUCTS PHOTO,

edinburgh 17/04/2008 22:18:00
Haven spoken to Jamie a few times i know he deff want's to go back to HEARTS AFTER THE SUMMER. HE ALSO IS A TOP DRAWER YOUNG GOALIE. I DO THINK HE WILL BE CRAIGS NO 2 FOR SCOTLAND AND EVENTUALLY SCOTLANDS NUMBER 1 WITHOUT A DOUBT .........AND ID LOVE HIM BACK AT TYNIE ..


OH AND THE REASON FOR ANDY MCNEILL NO LONGER PLAYING FOR SCOTLAND WAS HIS CHOICE NO ONE ELSES

 

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