Cody McDonald
FullnameCody Darren John McDonald[1]
Birth date30 May 1986 (age 40)[1]
Birth placeWitham, England
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[1]
PositionStriker
Youthclubs 1Valley Swifts
Years 12003–2008
Clubs 1Witham Town
Caps 183
Goals 148
Years 22008
Clubs 2Maldon Town
Caps 22
Goals 21
Years 32008–2009
Clubs 3Dartford
Caps 315
Goals 314
Years 42009–2011
Clubs 4Norwich City
Caps 424
Goals 44
Years 52010–2011
Clubs 5→ Gillingham (loan)
Caps 541
Goals 525
Years 62011–2013
Clubs 6Coventry City
Caps 643
Goals 67
Years 72013
Clubs 7→ Gillingham (loan)
Caps 77
Goals 74
Years 82013–2017
Clubs 8Gillingham
Caps 8153
Goals 848
Years 92017–2018
Clubs 9AFC Wimbledon
Caps 932
Goals 95
Years 102018–2020
Clubs 10Ebbsfleet United
Caps 1012
Goals 103
Totalcaps412
Totalgoals159
Club-update21 February 2021 (UTC)

Cody Darren John McDonald (born 30 May 1986) is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker. He played in the English Football League with Norwich City, Gillingham, Coventry City and AFC Wimbledon, and in non-League with Witham Town, Maldon Town, Dartford and Ebbsfleet United.

Club career

Early career

McDonald was born in Witham, Essex.[1] He started his career playing for Valley Swifts[2] in the Braintree & North Essex Sunday League[3] before being spotted by Witham Town.[4] He made his debut at Witham aged 16 and stayed at the club for more than four years.[5] Throughout his football career McDonald has featured sporadically as a batsman for the first XI of Witham Cricket Club.[6]

Dartford

McDonald continued to turn out for Valley Swifts even after his move from Witham to Maldon Town in July 2008, before signing for Isthmian League Premier Division side Dartford in October 2008. Dartford put a stop to his Sunday League exploits[7] and in his short 4-month stay at Princes Park he made 17+3 appearances scoring 19 goals in all competitions,[8] including a hat-trick against Canvey Island on 30 December 2008. It was form such as this which attracted interest from higher league clubs such as Norwich and reportedly Crystal Palace, Charlton Athletic and Reading.[9]

On 26 January 2009, McDonald was accompanied by Dartford manager Tony Burman to Norwich City's training ground at Colney for a two-day trial at the club and the Darts' boss later commented that "he (McDonald) enjoyed the experience and in my opinion did not look out of place over the two days".[10]

Norwich City

On 2 February 2009, it was announced that McDonald had joined Norwich City on a one-and-a-half-year deal for an undisclosed fee.[11] His first appearance for the club came three weeks later in the reserves' 3–0 win over Great Yarmouth Town, in which he scored the third goal.[12] He made his professional first team debut on 10 March 2009, as a substitute against Cardiff City at Carrow Road and scored in injury time.[13] In a League Cup tie against Sunderland on 24 August 2009, McDonald played as a goalkeeper for the final few minutes as Norwich had had a player sent off, goalkeeper Ben Alnwick injured and had used all available substitutions. Commenting after the match on organising his defence, he admitted; "If I'm being honest I didn't really know what I was doing!".[14] McDonald signed a new two-year deal with the club in March 2010. In the 2009–10 season he helped Norwich to the League One title, having been mainly used as an impact substitute.

Gillingham

McDonald signed on loan for Gillingham for a season, in the deal which took Simeon Jackson to the Canaries. McDonald was handed the number 10 jersey, which had been vacated by Jackson's departure. He picked up a niggling injury in pre-season, but upon his recovery scored four goals in eight appearances. He scored the first professional hat-trick of his career against Stockport County on 8 January 2011, his contribution helping Gills to a 5–1 away win and expressed his desire to stay at the Kent club.[15][16] On 21 April 2011, McDonald was named the ESPN PFA Fans' Player of the Year for the Football League Two.[17] McDonald also won Gillingham's Player of the Year, Player's Player of the Year, Sponsor's Player of the Year and Goal of the Season at the end of season awards ceremony held on Sunday 8 May 2011.[18] On 19 May 2011, McDonald revealed that he would not be returning to Gillingham.[19]

Coventry City

On 31 August 2011 he signed for Coventry City for an undisclosed fee.[20] He made his debut on 10 September in a 2–0 win against Derby County at the Ricoh Arena.[21] He scored his first goal on 22 October in a 2–1 home defeat against Burnley.[22] His second goal came on 6 March 2012, where he came off the bench to score a late equaliser in a 1–1 draw against Crystal Palace.[23] On 31 March he scored in a 2–0 win against Hull City.[24] He scored again in the following game; a 2–2 draw against Peterborough United.[25] He scored his first goal of the following season on the opening day, opening the scoring in a 1–1 draw against Yeovil Town.[26] On 28 August, he scored in a 3–2 win in the League Cup against midlands rivals Birmingham City.[27] and he scored the winner in the 90th minute in Coventry's 1–0 against Oldham Athletic which was Coventry's first win on the season, However, when Coventry appointed Mark Robins He was deemed surplus to requirements and Robins made him available for transfer and his future at Coventry was left in doubt. But when Robins left for Huddersfield Town he was given a chance to prove himself to new manager Steven Pressley, on 16 March he scored the first and only goal of a 1–0 win over Hartlepool United.

Gillingham

In January 2013 McDonald rejoined Gillingham on a loan deal until the end of the season with the option of a callback after one month by Coventry. He scored on his début for the Gills against York City on 26 January,[28] but was recalled to Coventry in early February. In July 2013, however, he signed a two-year contract with the "Gills" after Coventry agreed to terminate his contract. He signed a two-year contract extension on 12 March 2015 that would keep him with the Gills until the summer of 2017.

AFC Wimbledon

On 22 June 2017, McDonald joined League One side AFC Wimbledon on a free transfer. [29] He scored his first goal for Wimbledon in an EFL Trophy tie against Barnet on 29 August 2017.[30] On 2 August 2018, the club announced that his contract had been terminated by mutual consent.[31]

Ebbsfleet United

On 26 November 2018, McDonald joined National League side Ebbsfleet United.[32] McDonald's contract with the club was terminated at the end of 2019.[33]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueFA CupLeague CupOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Norwich City2008–09[34]Championship7100000071
2009–10[35]League One17320204[a]1254
2010–11[36]Championship0000000000
Total244202041325
Gillingham (loan)2010–11[36]League Two412510001[a]04325
Coventry City2011–12[37]Championship234000000234
2012–13[38]League One20310211[a]0244
Total437102110478
Gillingham (loan)2012–13[38]League Two7400000074
Gillingham2013–14[39]League One441720101[a]04817
2014–15[40]League One431610104[a]24918
2015–16[41]League One22510102[a]0265
2016–17[42]League One441021311[a]05012
Total1534861618217352
AFC Wimbledon2017–18[43]League One32531104[a]1407
Ebbsfleet United2018–19[44]National League113000000113
Career total411159131112184453166
  1. ^ Appearance(s) in Football League Trophy

Honours

Norwich City

Individual

References

  1. ^ The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2010–11. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing. 2010. p. 265. ISBN 978-1-84596-601-0.
  2. ^ http://www.bnesl.co.uk/vs.htm[dead link]
  3. ^ http://m6live.gazette-news.co.uk/sport/football/nonleaguefootball/4106575.Witham_to_ban_Sunday_football[dead link]
  4. ^ "Witham chairman backs McDonald | This is Essex". Archived from the original on 5 May 2013.
  5. ^ "Cody set for League chance?"
  6. ^ "Witham CC". witham.play-cricket.com. Retrieved 2021-02-21.
  7. ^ http://m6live.braintreeandwithamtimes.co.uk/sport/3685065[dead link]. Awesome_Arms_see_off_Casuals
  8. ^ http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/Sport/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=Sport&tBrand=ENOnline&tCategory=Sport&itemid=NOED02%20Feb%202009%2015%3A10%3A39%3A110 Dartford Stats
  9. ^ http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/Sport/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=Sport&tBrand=ENOnline&tCategory=Sport&itemid=NOED02%20Feb%202009%2015%3A10%3A39%3A110 McDonald watched by Championship clubs
  10. ^ "Manager's notes". Archived from the original on 30 January 2009. Retrieved 2 February 2009.
  11. ^ "City swoop for McDonald". Norwich City F.C. 2 February 2009. Archived from the original on 17 April 2009. Retrieved 2 February 2009.
  12. ^ "McDonald scores on debut". Norwich City F.C. 23 February 2009. Retrieved 23 February 2009.
  13. ^ "McDonald's delight at dream debut". BBC Sport. 11 March 2009. Retrieved 13 March 2009.
  14. ^ "Cody on 'keeper role". Norwich City F.C. 28 August 2009. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  15. ^ "Stockport 1–5 Gillingham". BBC News. 8 January 2011.
  16. ^ "McDonald wants to stay with Gills". BBC News. 28 March 2011.
  17. ^ "Meireles scoops Fans' Player of Year honour". ESPN. Archived from the original on 29 March 2023. Retrieved 2022-04-04.
  18. ^ "Gills player of the year". Kent Online. 2011-05-09. Retrieved 2022-03-13.
  19. ^ "On-loan striker Cody McDonald confirms Gillingham exit". BBC News. 19 May 2011.
  20. ^ "Norwich City striker Cody McDonald joins Coventry City" BBC Sport. 31 August 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  21. ^ "Coventry 2–0 Derby" BBC Sport. 10 September 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  22. ^ "Coventry 1–2 Burnley" BBC Sport. 22 October 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  23. ^ "Coventry 1–1 Crystal Palace" BBC Sport. 6 March 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  24. ^ "Hull 0–2 Coventry" BBC Sport. 31 March 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  25. ^ "Coventry 2–2 Peterborough" BBC Sport. 7 April 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  26. ^ "Yeovil 1–1 Coventry" BBC Sport. 18 August 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  27. ^ "Coventry 3–2 Birmingham" BBC Sport. 28 August 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  28. ^ "The return of the Mac". Gillingham FC. 25 January 2013.
  29. ^ "AFC Wimbledon sign striker McDonald". BBC Sport.
  30. ^ "Barnet FC 3-4 AFC Wimbledon – Checkatrade Trophy". barnetfc.com. 29 August 2017. Archived from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  31. ^ "Cody leaves Wimbledon". Retrieved 2018-08-11.
  32. ^ "Cody McDonald profile". Retrieved 2018-12-01.[dead link]
  33. ^ "Cody on Fleet exit". Kent Online. 2020-01-29. Archived 30 January 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-02-21.
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  45. ^ "npower Player of the Month 2010/11". The Football League. 6 May 2011. Archived from the original on 25 November 2011. Retrieved 10 April 2018.