Jamie MacDonald completed his move to Falkirk yesterday after agreeing a one-year contract with the SPFL Championship club.
The former Hearts goalkeeper would later be described as a "plum signing" and he did seem to stand out in a crowd, since Falkirk agreed terms with four other players yesterday.
Tom Taiwo, a midfielder released by Hibernian at the end of last season, has signed a two-year contract, while a similar deal was also agreed with erstwhile Ross County winger Alex Cooper. Peter Grant - the son and namesake of the former Celtic midfielder - has also been recruited from Norwich City and Alan Maybury has signed as both a player and the head coach of the Under-20s. The full-back had also been released by Hibs, following the club's relegation to the Championship.
It was MacDonald who was coveted most by Falkirk, though, not least as the club had not expected him to be available. The 28-year-old was both a loyal and reliable player for Hearts last season but became a victim of circumstance when he was released on the first day that Ann Budge took office at Tynecastle.
He had been linked with a move to Kilmarnock earlier this summer, only to formalise a short-term contract with Falkirk instead. "I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to sign a quality goalkeeper like Jamie, albeit just for a year," said Peter Houston, the Falkirk manager who has also extended the contract of midfielder Craig Sibbald until 2017. "I was surprised that Hearts let him go, but that's proved to be a plus for us. He is a plum signing for us."
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