Former NI captain McDonald dies

**Sport Billy** · 23rd June 2012, 03:20 PM

Former Glentoran manager Alan McDonald won 52 Northern Ireland caps

23 June 2012 Last updated at 13:21 GMT
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Former Northern Ireland and Queens Park Rangers captain Alan McDonald has died suddenly at the age of 48.
McDonald, who managed Glentoran when they won the Irish League championship in 2009, collapsed while playing golf on Saturday morning.
The Belfast-born centre-half famously played in the Northern Ireland team which drew 0-0 against England in 1985 to qualify for the World Cup finals.

Alan McDonald made 52 appearances for Northern Ireland

He won 52 international caps, scoring one goal against Denmark in 1986.
The news of McDonald's death will come as a huge shock to the football community in Northern Ireland.
He owned a trophy business in Bangor, Co Down, which had previously been run by his Northern Ireland team-mate Billy Hamilton.
McDonald made more than 400 appearances for London club QPR and was in the team which reached the League Cup final in 1986, losing 3-0 to Oxford United.
He then had spells with Charlton, on loan, and Swindon Town.
After retiring from playing, he served for a time as assistant coach of the Northern Ireland Under-21 side.
When Northern Ireland reached the World Cup finals in 1986 under manager Billy Bingham, McDonald played in matches against Algeria, Spain and Brazil.
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