Kevin McDonald: Scotland midfielder keen to play again after kidney transplant
- Published
Kevin McDonald began his career at Dundee, and has played for five clubs in England
"The doctors said, 'Listen, you might need a kidney transplant at the end of this season'."
For a dozen years, Fulham midfielder Kevin McDonald knew this day was coming, that the chronic kidney disease diagnosed in 2009 would progress to such an extent that a transplant was necessary.
McDonald, now 32, was a youngster at Burnley when the full extent of the problem was uncovered. Since then, he has been playing for club and country with the prospect of a transplant hanging over him.
"When we first got told what the ultimate end goal would be, we were looking to get a transplant aged 45," the Scotland player, last capped in 2018, told Adrian Chiles on BBC Radio 5 Live.
"So, comfortably see out the football career and live part of my life after football and then get it done.
"But over time, my condition deteriorated. I've started to have a couple of little symptoms towards this stage now, hence why I'm in this position.
"Even now the symptoms are still minimal, but the longer it goes on, the more they all kick in. You know, the swollen ankles, the being sick and the extreme fatigue and stuff - this is what's going to happen. I don't want to get to that point."
'Random people have offered me kidneys'
A club in China had been eager to take McDonald on loan this term, but his worsening condition prompted him to stay in the UK.
He revealed the news earlier this month, and has since been flooded with offers of kidney donations.
"Random people have offered me theirs since I spoke about this," McDonald, who has also played for Sheffield United and Wolverhampton Wanderers, said.
"There's been so much support. It's turned out right now that my brother is getting worked up to do the transplant. He's a couple of years older than myself so he's the best match for the time being.
"So he's in the process of getting his blood, urine and kidney function checked and making sure he's good to go. It was an easy enough conversation in that sense.
"If my brother was needing a transplant I'd be the first to say, 'here you go' so I'll be forever grateful for that.
"If it's going to be him then it would be absolutely brilliant but if it's not him then we go to the next one and the next one and so on until we get one."
'I'd love to play again'
McDonald is currently training with Fulham's Under-23s as he waits for news on his brother, and is en route to obtaining his coaching badges.
But when the transplant is done, and the recovery complete, he longs to play professionally once more.
"We spoke to the surgeon and the kidney team and they said, 'listen, it's a three-month recovery if you want to get back to playing elite football'," the five-cap midfielder said.
"And that's the sole focus first and foremost, to get into a position where we are physically and mentally ready to go and play again.
"When we get to that point, I'll see how the body feels and I'd love to play again. I'd love to know I've had a kidney transplant and have had a kidney condition through my whole career and get back to playing.
"Studies have shown and the kidney team have said that I will feel so much better after the transplant, because I'm running on 10% of my kidneys now.
"I am going to get one that's at full capacity. There will be a positive outcome from it and we just want to get to the point that we know when it's going to happen and let's get this procedure done."