O'Neill Donaldson

O'Neill Donaldson

Personal information
Full name	O'Neill McKay Donaldson
Date of birth	24 November 1969 (1969-11-24) (age 41)
Place of birth	Birmingham, England
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position	Striker
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1990–1991	Hinckley United
1991–1994	Shrewsbury Town	28	(4)
1994–1995	Doncaster Rovers	9	(2)
1994	→ Mansfield Town (loan)	4	(6)
1995–1998	Sheffield Wednesday	14	(3)
1998	→ Oxford United (loan)	6	(2)
1998	Stoke City	2	(0)
1998–2001	Torquay United	28	(1)
2001	Halesowen Town
Total		91	(18)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

O'Neill McKay Donaldson (born 24 November 1969 in Birmingham) is an English former footballer.

Career

Donaldson began his career at non-league Hinckley United F.C. where his form attracted the attention of Football League scouts, leading to him ultimately signing for Shrewsbury Town F.C. in November 1991. Donaldson did not gain a regular first team spot at the club, most often appearing as a substitute and was given a free transfer to Doncaster Rovers F.C. in 1994. Although he did not gain a regular first team place at Rovers either, Donaldson's reputation grew from a brief but goal-heavy spell on loan at Mansfield Town F.C. and it was his form at that club which convinced Sheffield Wednesday F.C. to sign him for £50,000.^[1]

Donaldson made his debut for the Owls as a sub against Manchester City F.C. on 18 March 1995.^[2] However he quickly faded from the first team picture at a time when Wednesday boasted the likes of Mark Bright and David Hirst up front and Donaldson was forced to settle for a reserve role at the Hillsborough club. He largely imprssed during a loan spell at Oxford United F.C., although then manager Malcolm Shotton blamed the player's agent for blocking a deal that would have brought Donaldson to the Manor Ground on a permanent basis.^[3] Indeed such was the desire to see Donaldson remain at the club full-time that a local fanzine editor even wrote to the player in an attempt to convince him to reconsider.^[4]

Ultimately Donaldson was released by Wednesday in March 1998 for a frustrating two month spell at Stoke City F.C., before he spent a further three years at Torquay United F.C. where injury and a lack of form conce again denied him a regular first team place. He left the league in 2001 for a brief spell at Halesowen Town F.C. in the Western Division of the Southern Football League before retiring from football.

References

1. ^ Sporting Digest
2. ^ O'Neill Donaldson
3. ^ O'Neill to stay at Hillsborough
4. ^ Fanzine appeals to O'Neill

External links

• O'Neill Donaldson career stats at Soccerbase
• Player history profile

Persondata
Name	Donaldson, Oneill
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	24 November 1969
Place of birth	Birmingham, England
Date of death
Place of death