Scottish midfielder Kevin Macdonald was a bit of an unsung hero of the Liverpool side that won the league and FA Cup double in 1986. I’ve often wondered to myself whatever happened to him after he left Liverpool as he seemed to just disappear from the public side of football after his retirement. So when I was watching Aston Villa’s opening game of the season and heard the commentator say “Villa’s caretaker manager Kevin Macdonald” I thought to myself that surely it couldn’t be the same guy that once played for Liverpool. As soon as I saw him on the television though, I recognized him straight away. He now looks older, has grey hair and has shaved off his moustache, but there was no mistaking it was the very same I guy I remember from the 1986 FA Cup final.
Kevin was born in December 1960 in Inverness, Scotland. He began his football career playing part time for the Highland League side Caledonian FC in Inverness while working as a civil servant. In 1980 he was spotted by then Leicester City manager Jock Wallace and offered the chance to move to Filbert Street and become a full time pro. Leicester had quite a decent side at the time with young strikers Gary Lineker and Alan Smith banging in the goals after good service from Kevin. He was a really important player at Leicester and eventually became the captain. In 1984 Joe Fagan offered Kevin the opportunity to join a Liverpool side that was the reigning First Division and European champions. Kevin was brought in along with Jan Molby to help fill the void left by Souness who had moved to Italy.
Kevin was never a regular in the Liverpool side in his first season, he has described himself as a ‘journeyman professional’, but he did get games in the second half of the 1984/85 season and played well. He was not in the squad for the 1985 European Cup final at Heysel which ended in tragedy. The following season was a great one for Liverpool and Kevin. Under player manager Kenny Dalglish, Kevin got more games in the first team and hit decent form which kept Steve McMahon out of the side. During the run in to the season in which Liverpool overtook Everton at the top of the league, Kevin was in magnificent form and started the last five games. He was playing so well that he booked himself a spot in the starting eleven for the great FA Cup final against Everton. He had a fine game helping the Reds to win 3-1 and complete the famous double.
Unfortunately for Kevin just months after his heroics at Wembley he was struck down with a tragedy that was to eventually end his time as a Liverpool player. Just as he was beginning to really establish himself in the squad, he broke his leg in September 1986 after coming on as a substitute at Southampton. The injury was so severe that it took Kevin almost two years to recover from it and start playing again. He returned as a substitute during the end of the 1987/88 championship wining season. Kevin has admitted that he was never the same player again after the injury and by the time he was fit to play again his time had passed at Liverpool with other players such as Steve McMahon and Ronnie Whelan playing superbly every week in midfield. He started the 1988/89 season in the frame to play in the first team again but spent parts of the season out on loan at his old club Leicester City and then back in Scotland with Rangers.
In 1989 he was transferred to Coventry City where he played forty-four games in two seasons, with a loan spell at Cardiff City in 1990/91. Kevin finished his playing career with two seasons at Walsall where he was a regular, before retiring in 1993.
After retiring from playing, Kevin went back to Leicester City and joined the coaching set-up running their school of excellence. He had a brief time as caretaker manager in November and December 1994 after the manager Brian Little moved to Aston Villa. When Mark McGhee took over at Leicester it wasn’t long before Kevin was joining up with his old boss at Aston Villa and became part of their backroom coaching staff. Kevin has now been a coach at Aston Villa for fifteen years where he has held a variety of positions including coaching the first team and running the youth academy. His most successful period at Villa came as reserve team manager where he coached the side to three consecutive league titles. When Martin O’Neill resigned as manager just four days before the start of the 2010/11 season Kevin was asked to become caretaker manager until a permanent boss is hired. He began in style with a 3-0 victory over West Ham.
Kevin Macdonald is not one of the most famous players ever to play for Liverpool. However he was an important part of a successful side in 1985/86 and helped them to win two major trophies. For that reason alone he will always be remembered fondly by any Reds that watched him play for Liverpool.
Liverpool FC | Supporters Club | Vancouver, BC, Canada
