City make double signing on deadline day

Exeter have new striker and midfielder

Exeter City FC has signed two players just hours before the end of the January transfer window. 

Young striker James Scott has joined from Championship side Hull City. The 22-year-old is on a one-and-a-half-year deal after three years at the East Yorkshire club. 

Scott got to know City manager Gary Caldwell while he was assistant manager for the Scottish side Hibernian, scoring a hat-trick in a final appearance for the club.

“James was a player I worked with at Hibs, and I had a great relationship with him,” manager Gary Caldwell said.

Writing on Twitter, Scott seems is excited to get started in red and white.

On the same day, midfielder Kevin McDonald also formally joined City.

The 34-year-old has been training with City squad for a short while and has now joined the club on a short-term contract until the end of the season. The player, who had a kidney transplant two years ago, is a hugely experienced player who has made 500 professional appearances including periods in the Premier League, Championship, League One and Scottish Premiership. 

The former Scottish international played five matches for the Tartan army, as he made his debut against Costa Rica in March 2018. 

He gained a second promotion to the Premier League  in 2020/21 with Fulham, but due to a kidney problem he was absent from the team the following season as he received a transplant from his brother in April 2021.

He returned to football in January last year, playing for Dundee United. Manager Gary Caldwell hopes his knowledge and expertise can be passed onto City's other midfielders. 

Caldwell says: "he is someone I've known throughout my career, so I know his ability. He's been with us for a week and has also been in at other clubs over the last few months but felt the fit at Exeter was right for him.”