Members News: ‘Concrete Rod’ McDonald Summer Signing For Magpies!
Rod McDonald (Notts County)
A CCFPA member since July 2021, the well travelled former Sky Blues central defender of fairly recent Sky Blue vintage, Rod McDonald recently made a close season move from last club Harrogate Town to East Midlands outfit Notts County. Thanks to our Associate member Kev Monks and his CovSupport News Service for reminding us of Rod’s move last month. Known to Sky Blues (and other fans) as ‘Concrete Rod’ the tall and lanky and fairly rugged Liverpudlian centre back is now reaching veteran stage at age 32 (born on 11th April 1992).
Rod McDonald in the Sky Blue
Rod started out as a youth player with Manchester City (2003) and Stoke City (2005) before signing a professional contract with the Potters in 2009. Rod never made their first team and, when he was loaned out to non-league Nantwich to gain senior level experience, only got one appearance off the bench before being recalled. Rod moved to Oldham Athletic at the start of August 2010 after an impressive trial but, once more a first team berth eluded the eighteen year old apart from a Football League Trophy debut (albeit off the bench at half-time) against Shrewsbury Town at the end of that month. However, he did get four outings out on a month’s loan at Stafford Rangers in October 2010 and another fifteen back on loan at Nantwich in 2011.
Sky Blue ‘Concrete Rod’
Still searching for a real break Rod tried his luck in Wales in summer 2011 signing for non league Colwyn Bay but fifteen games later he was back at Nantwich for the third time this time with a permanent deal! Between 2011-13 ‘Concrete Rod’, as the central defender was becoming known because of his uncompromising style, played 44 league games for the Dabbers and also netted his first goal!
Rod McDonald in Sky Blue action
In a step up Rod earned a half season contract in January 2013 with Conference Premier side Hereford United. He impressed enough to be taken on again in 2013-14 (though his team was relegated) and before he joined former opponents AFC Telford United for 2014-15 he built a record of netting four times in his 54 appearances with Hereford. He only spent one season at Telford scoring three goals in 28 games before stepping up a level again signing for League Two Northampton Town (after a trial) for 2016-17, becoming a regular and helping them achieve promotion netting three times in his 37 appearances for the Cobblers.
At this point the Sky Blues, who had just been relegated to League Two, moved in signing Rod on 19 May 2017 on a two-year contract for an undisclosed fee. Rod made his debut for the Sky Blues in a 3–0 victory over Notts County on the opening day (5th August 2017) of the season. Rod was a Sky Blue regular playing 37 league, three FA Cup and a League Cup games for CCFC (without finding the back of the net) before being released by Mark Robins at the end of the 2017-18 season. Rod soon found a new home in August 2018 with AFC Wimbledon signed for an undisclosed fee.
Rod McDonald (Carlisle Utd)
In two seasons for the Wombles Rod clocked up another 38 league appearances before moving once again in summer 2020 to play for Carlisle United where he made 60 appearances before a move to Crewe Alexandra in the summer of 2022 where he ended up with a brace of goals in his 36 appearances.
Rod spent last season (2023-24) at Harrogate where he notched a single goal in his 27 outings and now he has moved once more this 24th June, this time to Nottingham, signing for League Two County for an undisclosed fee. The venerable club is no stranger to ex Sky Blues in recent seasons and currently has both Jodi Jones and David McGoldrick on its staff assisting the strike force! We are sure Rod will acquit himself well for his new club and wish hime and them well!
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.
