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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
Sport
Mark McDougall

Anthony McDonald joins Hearts' Championship rivals as former youth star returns to Scotland

Former Hearts winger Anthony McDonald has joined Championship rivals Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

The 19-year-old left Tynecastle in the summer to move to Spanish side Cordoba but failed to make an appearance for the club.

And now he’s returned to Scotland to join Caley Thistle for a second time after spending time on loan in 2019.

He played 14 times for the Highland club and grabbed one goal before returning to Hearts.

He was highly-rated when coming through the system at Tynecastle but couldn’t hold down a regular spot and made just 25 appearances and also had a loan spell at Dunfermline.

And he’s delighted to be back in Scotland as he tweeted: “Happy to be back. Let’s go.”

McDonald could play against Hearts when the two sides meet later this month.

Caley Thistle launched a virtual ticket campaign for the game, with Robbie Neilson's side travelling north on February 28.

And they praised Hearts fans for their support as Chief Executive Officer Scot Gardiner said: "On behalf of Chairman Ross Morrison and the Board of Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC, our Manager, players and staff, I would like to thank everyone who has supported our virtual match “ticket” initiative in this incredible first 24 hours or so.

"We thank as ever, the supporters of ICTFC who have once again stepped up for their club and spent their hard earned money to back us when the current pressures of the outside world are so great.

"We also thank the fans of the other Scottish clubs, both in the Championship and the Premiership who have also made such generous contributions to a game where their own team isn’t even involved and also fans of the clubs in England who have done likewise. Such kindness is a reminder of the strength of football fans and indeed our game of football.

"All of that said, we cannot emphasise how simply blown away we have been by the almost instantaneous warmth and generosity of the supporters of Heart of Midlothian FC.

"As I write, we have now sold over 4,700 virtual “tickets” for our game on Friday, February 26. The vast majority of which have been purchased by Jambos. To put this in some context for those who don’t know the Caledonian Stadium, that is the equivalent of selling out the 2,200 capacity South Stand which is the traditional away end that.

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