A central component in the heart of Dundee United backline, defender Eve Donald cruised to the finale of the 2022/23 SWPL campaign, restoring top-flight football in the City of Discovery for another season.
Featuring 27-times for the Tangerines, the set-piece specialist and composed centre-half caught the eye of Paul Brownlie, who sought to enhance his defensive options, by attracting the 23-year-old to Lanarkshire.
“The Manager at Dundee United had informed me that an approach from Motherwell had come through,” Donald explained.
“After speaking with Paul and Leanne, I was really impressed with the professionalism at the club and their positivity about myself as a player. The conversation gave me a real feel of what the club is all about and it was an opportunity I simply couldn’t turn down.”
A central defender by trade, Donald’s versatility and consistency proved to be an enticing acquisition to an already weakened Motherwell backline, with Murron Cunningham facing an arduous spell on the sidelines. However, a sudden long-term injury ruled the experienced defender out of action for several months.
“It was one of the toughest times I have went through in football so far,” Donald emphasised.
“During a traditional warm-up in training, I had turned my body at speed to sprint and I instantly felt sharp pains across my back and suddenly couldn’t make any minor movement at all.
“After an assessment with the physio, I had twisted and irritated joints in my lower back which was hard to take as I understood that it wouldn’t be a fast recovery. I struggled to come to terms with everything the first couple days, but I knew I had to stay positive.”
After an extensive spell on the sidelines, with Donald featuring only twice in claret and amber since making the switch in the summer, the defender returned to competitive action, making her first Motherwell start against Glasgow City last weekend.
“Coming to a new club and getting an injury so early in the season was difficult to process and accept. Setbacks are always hard to accept but I just had to be positive and look forward to my return,” Donald said.
“Making my first start was a proud moment for me personally. There were nerves, but excitement as well. It’s something I’ve been working towards since my return from injury and I am delighted to be back on the pitch.
“Stepping back onto the pitch with the team following a long time out is one of the best feelings as a footballer. It’s a relief to finally be back playing football and playing my part, as we head into the final part of the season. Donald’s return comes at the perfect moment for the women of steel, with a trip to the capital to face Spartans preceding the post-split finale to the 2023/24 SWPL campaign.
“[The Spartans game] is a massive game for us, and it’s one we are all up for,” Donald outlined.
“Our performances against top of the table teams recently have been exceptional. We’ve went toe to toe with full time teams and played some really good football which we take positives from.
“We have shown what we are capable of, but we have to get the results that fairly reflect our performances which hopefully comes against Spartans, but it’ll be one we need to work hard for.”
