[1] With the signing of Hughie Gallacher the same year, they became a national force to be reckoned with,[2][3] finishing Scottish Football League runners up in four successive seasons as well as winning the 1924 Scottish Cup Final.
[6] He made his debut for the club on 7 September 1929 against Manchester City in a 5–2 win at Roker Park.
[7] Overall, he made 187 Football League and FA Cup appearances, scoring 5 goals, whilst at Sunderland from 1929 to 1934.
[6] While at Airdrie he was capped once at full level for Scotland in a 4–0 win against Ireland in February 1926,[9] and also played twice for the Scottish Football League XI.
[2][10] His younger brother Jimmy McDougall was also a footballer who played for Partick Thistle and Liverpool, and appeared twice for Scotland.