Kevin: I'd have gone stale at Dens Park

Aug 24 2008 By Scott Mcdermott

SCOTLAND Under-21 star Kevin McDonald believes he HAD to move to Burnley in the summer because he feared he'd go stale by staying at Dundee for another year.

The former Dens Park kid, who was snapped up by Owen Coyle for £300,000, is still settling into life at Turf Moor.

But the talented midfielder knows even when he becomes a first-team regular for the Clarets he'll still be a small fish in a huge pond.

With ex-Manchester United winger Chris Eagles and veteran stars Ade Akinbiyi, Robbie Blake and Graham Alexander in the side the 19-year-old may struggle to impose himself at the Championship club.

But Kevin is adamant he made the right move at the right time - despite calls from Dees boss Alex Rae to stay on Tayside for another season.

The teenager said: "Dundee was ideal for me to get started but this is going to be a lot tougher and it has been a good learning experience so far.

"I had been at Dundee for three years. After the first one people were talking about me leaving and I stayed, then the same happened after my second season and my third.

"I gave it my best for three years and it gets to the stage where it's time to move on. If I stayed at Dundee and things had gone badly it might have affected me too.

"It was the right time to leave and the club did well out of the deal too."

McDonald knows life won't be easy in England but is sure he can be a success.

He said: "There is less pressure on me at Burnley as there are more big players at the club and in the league.

"At Dundee I was one of the top guys along with Scott Robertson and Paul Dixon.

"The standard is higher here so it takes a bit of time to fit in.

There's lots of quality at the club. Guys like Blake, Stevie Jordan, Chris McCann, Martin Paterson and Alexander are the ones that have stood out.

"Eagles has looked good too.

He did his pre-season with Man United so that shows you the calibre of player here."