Ciaran Donnelly
Encyclopedia
Ciaran Donnelly is an English
professional footballer
who plays as a midfielder
.
He has played for England at Under-16
, Under-18
and Under-19
levels.
, Lancashire
, Donnelly attended Claremont Primary School and Beacon Hill High School
in North Shore, Blackpool. He joined the Centre of Excellence at his hometown club
, where he stayed until he was fourteen years old, when he joined the Academy at Premier League club Blackburn Rovers
.
who were then in League One
. He played nine league matches before the loan spell ran out on 9 May. However, he did not make any first-team appearances for Blackburn Rovers and he signed for his hometown
club on a free transfer on 16 March 2005 initially until the end of the season, with an option for a further year. On 2 September 2005 Donelly scored the winning goal as Blackpool beat Doncaster Rovers
1-0 at Belle Vue
in League One.
On 23 November 2006 Blackpool sent him on loan to Southport
, who were then in the Conference National
, where he played eleven league games, scoring one goal. Then, after he returned from Southport, he was sent on loan to League Two
club Macclesfield Town
on 22 March 2007 until the end of the season.
After making just one appearance, in the Football League Trophy
, in 2006-07 for Blackpool and failing to break into the first team squad as the club was promoted to the Championship
, he was released at the end of the season, he signed a two-year contract with Fleetwood Town
, who were then in the Northern Premier League Premier Division
for the start of the 2007-08 season, scoring just three minutes into his debut on 18 August 2007 in a 1-0 away win at Ossett Town
.
He moved to Northern Ireland
in January 2008 to play for IFA Premiership
club Glenavon
. His only goal for the club came in a 6-3 defeat to Loughall
in the Mid-Ulster Cup
. He left Glenavon at the end of the 2007-08 season.
Without a club, Donnelly returned home to Blackpool, where he played Sunday League football
in the Blackpool & Fylde Sunday League Alliance. In the 2009-10 season he played part-time with local club AFC Blackpool in the North West Counties Football League First Division.
After impressing during a series of trials in the summer of 2010, Donnelly signed for Barrow
in July 2010. Donnelly left the club on 31 January 2011 after the club decided not to extend his contract.
On 1 July 2000 he scored England's under-16's goal as they lost 2-1 to Brazil at the Stadium of Light
in Sunderland. and in September 2000 he played in the under-16 team that beat their Republic of Ireland counterparts 3-1 at the Bescot Stadium
in Walsall
.
In June 2002 he played for the under-18 side at the Under 18s International Tournament in Lisbon
, Portugal
.
He helped England under-19's qualify for the finals of the 2003 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship
. He played in all three group games in the first qualifying round, as England played in a mini-group tournament. And in the final game, Donnelly scored all four of England's goals as they beat Romania under-19's 4-0. In the second qualifying round, he scored the winning goal as England beat the Republic of Ireland 1-0 at Tolka Park
in Dublin and followed that up two days later with two goals against Slovenia as England won 3-0 at Dalymount Park
in Dublin. and then played in the final group game against Switzerland at United Park
in Drogheda
which England won 1-0 to qualify for the finals.
He was in the England squad
for the finals which were held in Liechtenstein
in July 2003, and he played in all three of England's games as they went out of the competition at the group stage.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
professional footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who plays as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
.
He has played for England at Under-16
England national under-16 football team
-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the Victory Shield match against Scotland.-Recent call-ups:The following players have also been called up to the England U-16 squad and remain eligible.-External links:*...
, Under-18
England national under-18 football team
-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the friendly match against Slovakia.-Recent call-ups:The following players have also been called up to the England under-18 squad and remain eligible.-References:...
and Under-19
England national under-19 football team
-Other matches:-Latest squad:The following players were named in the squad for the friendly match against Denmark.- Recent call-ups :The following players have also been called up to the England under-19 squad and remain eligible.-Past squads:...
levels.
Background
Born in BlackpoolBlackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, Donnelly attended Claremont Primary School and Beacon Hill High School
Beacon Hill High School
Beacon Hill High School is a school in Warbreck, Blackpool, Lancashire.It is located on Warbreck Hill Road and is near Layton railway station.It was formerly an all-boys School called Warbreck High, at which both John Inman and Stacey McClean were pupils....
in North Shore, Blackpool. He joined the Centre of Excellence at his hometown club
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
, where he stayed until he was fourteen years old, when he joined the Academy at Premier League club Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
.
Club career
Donnelly started out in the youth team and then as a trainee at Blackburn Rovers in 2002. After being an ever-present in the club's reserve team in the 2003-04 season, on 25 March 2004 he was sent on loan to BlackpoolBlackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...
who were then in League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
. He played nine league matches before the loan spell ran out on 9 May. However, he did not make any first-team appearances for Blackburn Rovers and he signed for his hometown
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
club on a free transfer on 16 March 2005 initially until the end of the season, with an option for a further year. On 2 September 2005 Donelly scored the winning goal as Blackpool beat Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
1-0 at Belle Vue
Belle Vue (football)
Belle Vue was the home of English professional football club Doncaster Rovers from 1922 to 2006. The ground was affectionately called by fans as 'Old Belle Vue' or OBV.-History:...
in League One.
On 23 November 2006 Blackpool sent him on loan to Southport
Southport F.C.
Southport Football Club are an English football club, based in Southport, Merseyside. They are currently in the Conference National, and play their home matches at Haig Avenue, which has a capacity of 6,008...
, who were then in the Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
, where he played eleven league games, scoring one goal. Then, after he returned from Southport, he was sent on loan to League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
club Macclesfield Town
Macclesfield Town F.C.
Macclesfield Town Football Club is an English football team. The club was formed in 1874 and is based in the town of Macclesfield in Cheshire. The team play its home games at the 6,355 capacity Moss Rose stadium...
on 22 March 2007 until the end of the season.
After making just one appearance, in the Football League Trophy
Football League Trophy
The Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...
, in 2006-07 for Blackpool and failing to break into the first team squad as the club was promoted to the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
, he was released at the end of the season, he signed a two-year contract with Fleetwood Town
Fleetwood Town F.C.
Fleetwood Town F.C. is an English football club based in Fleetwood, Lancashire. They currently play in the Conference National having been defeated in the Conference National play-off semi-final by AFC Wimbledon in the 2010–11 season.-History:...
, who were then in the Northern Premier League Premier Division
Northern Premier League Premier Division
The Premier Division is the top division of the Northern Premier League. It is at Step 3 of the National League System, placing it six divisions below the Premier League...
for the start of the 2007-08 season, scoring just three minutes into his debut on 18 August 2007 in a 1-0 away win at Ossett Town
Ossett Town F.C.
Ossett Town Football Club are an English football club based in Ossett, in the City of Wakefield district, West Yorkshire, playing in the Northern Premier League in the 2011-12 season.-History:...
.
He moved to Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
in January 2008 to play for IFA Premiership
IFA Premiership
The IFA Premiership – formerly the Irish Premier League, and before that the Irish Football League–and still known in popular parlance simply as the Irish League, is the national football league in Northern Ireland, and was historically the league for the whole of Ireland. Clubs in the league are...
club Glenavon
Glenavon F.C.
Glenavon F.C. is a semi-professional, Northern Irish football club playing in the IFA Premiership. The club, founded in 1889, hails from Lurgan and plays its home matches at Mourneview Park...
. His only goal for the club came in a 6-3 defeat to Loughall
Loughgall F.C.
Loughgall F.C. is an intermediate, Northern Irish football club playing in IFA Championship 1. The club, founded in 1967, is situated in the village of Loughgall, near Armagh in County Armagh...
in the Mid-Ulster Cup
Mid-Ulster Cup
The Mid-Ulster Cup is a senior football competition in Northern Ireland run by the Mid-Ulster Football Association.First held in 1887, the inaugural edition was won by Milford. For 30 seasons, from 1947/48 to 1977/78, while remaining a senior competition, senior clubs declined to take part, instead...
. He left Glenavon at the end of the 2007-08 season.
Without a club, Donnelly returned home to Blackpool, where he played Sunday League football
Sunday league football
Sunday league football is a term used in the United Kingdom to describe those association football leagues which play on Sunday, as opposed to the more usual Saturday. These leagues tend to be lower standard amateur competitions, whose players may have less ability, or less time to devote to...
in the Blackpool & Fylde Sunday League Alliance. In the 2009-10 season he played part-time with local club AFC Blackpool in the North West Counties Football League First Division.
After impressing during a series of trials in the summer of 2010, Donnelly signed for Barrow
Barrow A.F.C.
Barrow A.F.C. are an English football club founded in 1901 based in the town of Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria. Following promotion at the end of the 2007–08 season, they currently play in the Conference National. The club spent over fifty years in the Football League between 1921 and 1972, and have...
in July 2010. Donnelly left the club on 31 January 2011 after the club decided not to extend his contract.
International career
Donnelly has played for his country at under-16, under-18 and under-19 level.On 1 July 2000 he scored England's under-16's goal as they lost 2-1 to Brazil at the Stadium of Light
Stadium of Light
The Stadium of Light is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland, England. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light has the fifth-largest capacity of any English football stadium. The stadium primarily hosts Sunderland A.F.C. matches...
in Sunderland. and in September 2000 he played in the under-16 team that beat their Republic of Ireland counterparts 3-1 at the Bescot Stadium
Bescot Stadium
Bescot Stadium, also known as the Banks's Stadium for sponsorship purposes, is the home ground of Walsall Football Club. It was built in 1989-90 by GMI Construction with a reported build cost of £4.5m...
in Walsall
Walsall
Walsall is a large industrial town in the West Midlands of England. It is located northwest of Birmingham and east of Wolverhampton. Historically a part of Staffordshire, Walsall is a component area of the West Midlands conurbation and part of the Black Country.Walsall is the administrative...
.
In June 2002 he played for the under-18 side at the Under 18s International Tournament in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
.
He helped England under-19's qualify for the finals of the 2003 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship
2003 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship
The 2003 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship was held in Liechtenstein from 16 to 26 July 2003. Players born after 1 January 1984 can participate in this competition.- Venues :- Teams :The eight teams that participated in the final tournament were:...
. He played in all three group games in the first qualifying round, as England played in a mini-group tournament. And in the final game, Donnelly scored all four of England's goals as they beat Romania under-19's 4-0. In the second qualifying round, he scored the winning goal as England beat the Republic of Ireland 1-0 at Tolka Park
Tolka Park
Tolka Park is an Irish football ground located in the north Dublin suburb of Drumcondra, on the northern banks of the River Tolka. It is currently the home ground of League of Ireland club Shelbourne...
in Dublin and followed that up two days later with two goals against Slovenia as England won 3-0 at Dalymount Park
Dalymount Park
Dalymount Park is an Irish football stadium situated on Dublin's Northside. It is the home of Bohemian F.C., who have played there since the early 20th century. Affectionately known as 'Dalyer' by fans, it was also historically the "home of Irish football" holding Irish internationals and FAI Cup...
in Dublin. and then played in the final group game against Switzerland at United Park
United Park
Hunky Dorys Park is a football stadium in Drogheda, Ireland. The ground has been home to League of Ireland side Drogheda United since 1979. The ground has a capacity of 2,000 with 400 seats...
in Drogheda
Drogheda
Drogheda is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. It is the last bridging point on the River Boyne before it enters the Irish Sea....
which England won 1-0 to qualify for the finals.
He was in the England squad
2003 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship squads
Players born on or after 1 January 1984 were eligible to participate in the tournament. Players' age as of 16 July 2003 – the tournament's opening day...
for the finals which were held in Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein
The Principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked alpine country in Central Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over , and it has an estimated population of 35,000. Its capital is Vaduz. The biggest town is Schaan...
in July 2003, and he played in all three of England's games as they went out of the competition at the group stage.
Honours
Blackpool- League OneFootball League OneFootball League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
play-off final winner: 2006-072006-07 in English footballThe 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five...