BUDE Town have brought back versatile defender Liam McDonald ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

The left-sided player was part of the mass exodus following the departure of Ben Potter last summer and spent the season turning out for home club Halwill in Division Three of the Devon and Exeter League.

However, with brothers Billy and Harry Hopcroft having already committed to coming back, McDonald is doing likewise, much to the delight of boss Steve Hackett.

He told the Post: “I’m really happy that Liam has returned to the club.

“He has a really positive personality, has the experience that we are after and is a really talented footballer.

“He will give us the balance that we need and we are looking forward to seeing him back in a Bude shirt.”

Bude, who start their South West Peninsula League Premier West campaign at home to Millbrook on Saturday, August 2, get their pre-season preparations started this weekend.

They visit SWPL Premier East outfit Torrington on Saturday (2pm) before welcoming Potter’s Barnstaple Town, who were losing play-off semi-finalists in the Western League Premier Division in April, to Broadclose Park on Tuesday night (7.30pm).

A second home game sees the Seasiders host North Devon outfit Fremington next Friday night (7.30pm).

Looking ahead to those games, Hackett continued: “We have had a good start to pre-season, the lads have had lots of variation with PT sessions, weekly indoor futsal and training at the pitch.

“We started early to try and give ourselves some extra time to work on our fitness and sharpness and the lads have worked really hard.

“We now head into the pre-season friendlies which will be a good opportunity to get minutes into them and for us to look at new and existing players.

“We are preparing things nicely for the new season and things are positive here at Bude Town (AFC).”