Kevin McDonald: ‘A gift I can never give back’ – Exeter City midfielder talks about playing for his brother’s college

Figures show that 12,000 people nationally have lost their lives waiting for an organ transplant in the past decade.

As the need for a transplant became more urgent, McDonald’s brother, Fraser, came forward to donate his kidney after discovering he was the right person.

“I remember thinking: ‘Let’s do this, I need to protect my younger brother,'” Fraser told BBC Sport.

The MacDonald brothers grew up in the Scottish coastal town of Carnoustie, famous for its golf course, where Fraser, a firefighter, still lives with his wife and children.

“When I was growing up, Kev and I were close,” he says. “Both of us were crazy about football, and there was a lot of fighting [between us] But I would say it was a close relationship.”

MacDonald laughs when he recalls his childhood fights with his brother.

“I was trying to harass him in front of his colleagues and he was hitting me.

“I was really tall and skinny, and when it came to football, I was more technical. He was the opposite, running all over the pitch, tackling and crushing people.”

McDonald’s kidney transplant took place at Guy’s Hospital in London, and it was not an easy operation.

Although his brother was a perfect fit, MacDonald suffered significant rejection and spent eight hours a day distilling.

He was eventually discharged from hospital after 18 days, but his fears were far from over.

McDonald was soon released by Fulham, while his wife Lucy was pregnant with their first child, Layla.