THE Don is back!
York City have confirmed the appointment of Clayton Donaldson as their new Head of Development – as well as the formation of a new development side.
Returning to the club he represented 118 times as a player, Donaldson enjoyed two spells with York.
The 40-year-old registered over 50 goals whilst at City, including his recent eight strikes in the 2021/22 season as the Minstermen secured promotion from the National League North.
Following his promotion-winning season with York, Donaldson would go on to have a prolific spell with Gainsborough Trinity, before stepping into the managerial hotseat at Farsley Celtic.
His Farsley side managed to exceed expectations and retain their position in the National League North, before he was controversially let go by the troubled Celtics earlier on this season.
Donaldson has recently secured his UEFA A diploma in October 2023, and his new role will see him oversee operations relating to a newly-formed development side, which is set to begin at the start of the 2025/26 season.
The new team will consist of a group of younger players, most notably from the under-19’s side, who will train alongside the first-team to form a mixed side with some of the first-team players currently playing on the fringes.
Co-chair Matt Uggla spoke on Donaldson’s return to the club and the newly-formed development team, saying: “We’ve always really wanted to put together a development team.
Clayton Donaldson has returned to York City. (Image: Tom Poole) “It’s turned out to be a lot longer of a process than we anticipated. We now feel we are in a really good place to have that rolling out from next season.
“There’s a lot of work to do from now to be ready for that.
“We think Clayton is the perfect person to come in and lead that development team and be Head of Development at York City given his relationship with the club and the contacts in the game, we’re really excited to have him.”
“With Adam [Hinshelwood]’s record of giving young players a chance, it seems like the perfect time to do it.”
Commenting on his return to the club, Donaldson emotionally stated:Â “To be back here… I’m over the moon.
“I can’t wait to get started. I’m a York City fan. York to me is like my second home.
“It’s the perfect fit for me and hopefully I can help other youngsters come through and start their journey here as well.
“I’ve been there; lived it, experienced it and now it’s for me to pass that knowledge down to the next generation.
“It’s something I’ve always wanted to get into.
“I’ve been in football 24 years so it would be stupid of me to not carry on and pass that experience on to the younger generation, and to provide that pathway into the first team.”
Director of Football Tony McMahon added: “We had a chat with the owners and this was something we wanted to do moving forward.
“We want a development group and bringing someone like Clayton back to the football club was massive.
“He’s not just a football person but a good person, and that’s the type of people we need in this football club.
“It’s really exciting with how it’s going at first team level but we want below that, development players.
“At first team level now, we have a manager in place who isn’t frightened to play these younger boys.
“If we can give them a pathway now of getting into our first team, long term it saves us money but it’s brilliant for these younger players to see that pathway to the first team.”
