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STARTING XI: Elgin City goalkeeper Thomas McHale on his toughest opponent and favourite away ground

The Black and Whites keeper, who is recovering from an ankle ligament injury, lifts the lid on highs and lows in his career.

Elgin City goalkeeper Thomas McHale punching the ball clear from a corner against Buckie Thistle. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson.
Elgin City goalkeeper Thomas McHale punching the ball clear from a corner against Buckie Thistle. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson.

Elgin City goalkeeper Thomas McHale joined the League Two side from English National League (South) club Truro City six years ago.

He’s been a consistent performer for the Black and Whites, making more than 170 appearances, including nine this season.

In August, the Englishman suffered an ankle ligament injury and has been working on his recovery and rehab since. He says it’s the worst injury he’s had to date.

He’s been watching with interest as Allan Hale’s City have continued to impress at the higher end of the division as well as progress to round three of the Scottish Gas Scottish Cup where Kelty Hearts lie in wait.

This Saturday, unbeaten Elgin travel to Bonnyrigg Rose as they sit tucked just behind leaders East Fife only on goal difference.

Here, 29-year-old McHale is the latest north footballer to answer our Starting XI questions.

What do you remember about your senior debut?

I started off playing in the lower leagues in Cornwall and got my move to Truro through word of mouth.

Truro were one level below the Conference South League at the time. It was quite a big jump for me.

I signed as a training keeper, so third choice, and then through injuries I got my chance to play after one of the loanees had been recalled. It just feels so long ago.

My debut was against Pool Town in a 2-2 draw on February 21, 2015.

I was just over the moon because you work so hard to get into that position. It was an amazing feeling and you want to do it for as long as you can.

For Elgin, my debut was at home to Arbroath in a midweek night in the League Cup (in August 2018). It was a 1-1 draw and we lost 7-6 on penalties.

What is your career highlight so far?

I’ve had two promotions in my career and there is no feeling like that. That’s what you work so hard towards, trying to go up the leagues.

With Truro, I won the 2014–15 Southern Premier League play-off final to get promoted to Conference South (after beating St Neots Town 1-0).

The promotion with Weymouth was during my first season up here when I went back down to England on loan in 2018-19 when we won the Southern League, which was a great experience.

I have also played in a few big FA Cup ties, such as against Charlton (a 3-1 defeat for Truro in November 2017) and at Hibs in the Scottish Cup in my first season with Elgin (a 4-0 defeat in January 2019).

We will see what happens in 2025 – although I need to get fit and try and get back in the team first!

Elgin City midfield star Brian Cameron in action against Dundee’s Declan McDaid in September 2019. Image: SNS.

Who is the best player you played with?

Having played at a few clubs in England, I’ve been lucky to play with some really good guys who are stepping down the levels towards the end of their careers.

It’s tough, but I’ll go for Isaac Vassell when I was at Truro City. I’ve never seen pace like it and he was so effective. He got a move to Luton after leaving us, which was fully deserved.

At Elgin, I can’t go without mentioning Soapy (Brian Cameron). His longevity and what he’s done for this club is unmatched. You don’t often get players having played so many games with one club (almost 600 appearances).

And who is your toughest opponent?

When I was at Truro, we faced Jamal Lowe (now at Sheffield Wednesday) when he was at Hampton and Richmond.

Every time we played against him, no one could get close and he always managed to get a goal. He’s gone on to have some career.

Dressing room threads – who has the worst fashion sense in the dressing room?

No doubt about it, I’d have to say Rory McEwan. I’m sure I won’t the only one to say that. He’d accept that.

It could be anything from colourful shoes to work trackies, you never know what he will turn up in. He’s some man.

Rory MacRwan has questionable fashion sense, according to Thomas McHale, but he’d be his pick of team-mates on a desert island. Image: SNS.

How would your team-mates describe you?

A few would just call me “daft goalie”, especially Russell Dingwall – he likes that one.

Aside from that, it would maybe be king of the cards. I’m a relentless winner when it comes to card games on a Saturday. I’ll admit that one.

What is the best advice you have been given?

As a young player, you are told so many different things.

The main one would be to control the controllables. Anything out of your hands, you can’t control.

You’re also told to work as hard as possible and you try to live by that. You want to improve yourself as much as you can. To achieve what you can, you must work hard.

One of my youth coaches, who coached me from the age of eight or nine, Martin Jones, is a good friend of mine and he regularly reminds me of these bits of advice. He’s magic.

They remain so important to me, helping me to get to where I am. I’m very grateful for that.

What is your favourite away ground and why?

I’d have to say the Valley when we played Charlton Athletic when I was at Truro.

The whole set-up and atmosphere around the place was amazing. We lost 3-1, but had more than 1,000 fans travel up from Cornwall, including a lot of my family and friends.

What is your favourite goal scored by you or a team-mate?

Ross Draper’s late winning goal for Elgin (in April 2023) against Dumbarton was so, so important. (It prevented Elgin from potentially finishing bottom and going into a relegation play-off).

Anyone who was at Borough Briggs that day will never forget it, given the position we were in and that Drapes was interim manager at the time.

It was meant to be that he would score that goal. Not much tops that. It’s not often you get feelings like that in football.

I know we were in a relegation battle, but it meant so much to so many people. It ended being a great day.

Ross Draper’s winning goal for Elgin City against Dumbarton in April 2023 helped keep the Moray club in the SPFL. Image: Bob Crombie

If you were stranded on a desert island and had to bring one current or former team-mate for help, who would it be and why?

Again, a lot of people would say Rory MacEwan. He’s always out and about doing random stuff, be it paddle-boarding, skiiing, or snowboading. He’s like Bear Grylls a little bit, so he’d keep us right.

You would also get a good laugh from him and, as long as we had a deck of cards, we’d be fine.

How do you relax away from football?

It’s really all about my family, chilling with the kids and partner, taking them somewhere on a Sunday for example.

Whether it’s the park or swimming pool, family life is my relaxation period now.

It’s so important when you work throughout the week, then you train two nights per week, then have the match on Saturdays.

Sundays like that are needed after a long hard week.

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