FC Halifax Town: "They've definitely not seen the best of me yet," says McDonagh

The 23-year-old joined The Shaymen last summer after impressing on trial, but has yet to establish himself as a first-team regular.

The forward has featured just four times in the league this season, all as a substitute, but played well off the bench in the 3-1 win at Dagenham and Redbridge last time out, and scored in Halifax' s 6-3 West Riding County Cup defeat at Liversedge last week.

"They've definitely not seen the best of me yet," McDonagh said.

"I feel like I can offer a focal point up-front, goals, just an all-round desire to win a game of football.

"Day by day, I'm working hard and doing everything I need to do. I'm just waiting for my opportunity."

The striker started his career at Nottingham Forest, and played in the youth team alongside Matty Cash, Oliver Burke and Joe Worrall.

"It was really good, I'm from Nottingham. It was good facilities, a good club, I enjoyed it," said McDonagh, who made his debut for the club as a 17-year-old under former Forest striker Dougie Freedman.

After loan spells with Wrexham, Cambridge and Tranmere, McDonagh joined Barnsley and then Aldershot.

"That was tough to deal with (leaving Forest)," he said, "but it's like anything in life, life goes on and you have to move on with it."

McDonagh says a combination of the coronavirus pandemic and personal issues meant he had a spell out of the game before joining Town.

"In all fairness, I didn't play for a while so it would have taken a while for me to get back into it," he said.

"I didn't play for 14, 15 months, so it would have taken a while for my fitness and because it's full-time football, getting in a routine again.

"It was a massive opportunity to show people and the fans what I can do.

"But it comes with time."

McDonagh says he feels fit and raring to go after recovering from injury.

"When I went on loan to Kettering, in my last game I got an ankle injury so I was out for about eight or nine weeks," he said.

"But I'm fine now, just getting my fitness back and near enough back to where I was."

And McDonagh says the Town squad are all pulling in the same direction in their quest for promotion.

"I've played Halifax a few times when I've been on loan, but this is a different team. It's such a good group of lads, good manager, good staff," he said.

"Everyone's on the same page, there isn't any bad eggs in the group, everyone's just focused on winning games and doing well."