Popular former Portsmouth player completes move to League One promotion rivals

Popular former Pompey keeper Craig MacGillivray has joined one of the Blues’ promotion rivals.

The 31-year-old has put pen to paper on a short-term loan deal with Stevenage and joins Steve Evans’ side from MK Dons until the end of the season.

The one-time News/Sports Mail Pompey player of the season will compete with Taye Ashby-Hammond - who has made 29 appearances in all competitions this season - for the No1 jersey at the Lamex Stadium. He joins an already long list of ex-Blues players currently in the Boro ranks, with Dan Butler, Nathan Thompson, Louis Thompson, Harvey White and Ben Thompson all presently calling Stevenage home.

MacGillivray makes the move from MK Dons with Evans’ troops currently sitting seventh in the League One table - three points adrift of the play-off places and seven points behind leaders Pompey, albeit with a game less played.

The keeper is Boro’s second new arrival of the transfer window, with experienced striker Vadaine Oliver completing a loan move from Bradford on Wednesday. Both he and MacGillivray will be available for selection when Stevenage entertain fellow promotion-chasers Barnsley on Saturday.

MacGillivray is believed to have turned down a move to Carlisle in order to make the move to Boro. 

The keeper is remembered fondly in these parts after spending three years at Fratton Park, following his 2018 move from Shrewsbury. He went on to make 135 appearances and was a landslide winner of The News/Sports Mail’s Pompey Player of the Season in 2021 - picking up 65 per cent of the vote, with no other player recording more than eight per cent. 

The Scot was part of two play-off campaigns in his time with the Blues and was part of the team who lifted the Checkatrade Trophy, beating Sunderland at Wembley. He featured significantly in that memorable victory over the Black Cats - saving from Lee Cattermole in the penalty shootout as Pompey converted all of their spot kicks in front of a crowd of 85,021.