Tributes have been paid to former Walsall, York City and Kidderminster Harriers winger David McDermott, who has died at the age of 38.
A product of Walsall’s youth system, McDermott burst onto the scene as a teenager, writing his name into Saddlers history in 2004 when he became the club’s youngest ever debutant at just 16. That early breakthrough marked him out as one of the brightest prospects to come through the Bescot ranks in the modern era.
He left Walsall in 2008 and moved to Kidderminster Harriers, where he became a regular part of the side over the next two seasons. McDermott pulled on the Harriers shirt 54 times, scoring twice, and built a reputation as a hard-working wide player with sharp feet and a relentless engine.
York City came next. The winger joined the Minstermen and added a further 21 appearances to his career tally, continuing to operate out wide and offering depth and experience in the final third.
McDermott later took his game into the non-league circuit, turning out for AFC Telford United, Stourbridge, Rushall Olympic and Worcester City, extending a career that began with such precocious promise into a long spell in the English game’s heartlands.
He leaves behind a legacy stitched across several clubs, remembered as a record-breaking Walsall youngster who went on to serve a string of teams with commitment and professionalism.
