Kevin McDonald couldn’t hide his delight after making his debut for Dundee United last night – describing it as ‘one of the best experiences of my life’.

The former Fulham midfielder, who signed a short-term deal at Tannadice Park after impressing during his time training with the Tangerines, played 73 minutes as his new side moved into fourth place in the SPL with a 2-0 win over Motherwell. The fact that he is playing senior football at all, just months after a successful kidney transplant, is remarkable.

Speaking to Courier Sport, the Scotland international said:

“It was an unbelievable night for me. I’ve played in some massive games of football like play-off finals and in the English Premier League. I could never forget the feeling of beating Aston Villa with Fulham at Wembley.

But from a life perspective, this is of the best experiences I’ve had. I had a couple of misplaced passes but they showed a lot of respect in not getting on at me. They understand that I haven’t played for almost two years. I thank every single one of the fans for their attitude.

They gave me a great reception coming out and even gave me a big applause when I was just warming up. It’s a massive boost to be play football in front of fans again.”

The 33 year-old believes he can definitely improve on his performance levels given time.

“A football pitch is my home. It’s all I’ve ever known. It’s incredible to be back. Can I do better? Absolutely. But it’s not the time to look at that. It’s time to feel proud that I’m playing again.”