Michael O'Donoghue (footballer)

Michael O'Donoghue
Personal information
Full name Michael Derry O'Donoghue[1]
Date of birth (1996-01-18) 18 January 1996[2]
Place of birth Islington, London, England
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[3]
Playing position Left-back
Club information
Current team
Colchester United
Number 23
Youth career
Reading
0000–2013 Leyton Orient
2013–2014 Colchester United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014– Colchester United 1 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19:24, 16 November 2014 (UTC).

† Appearances (goals)

Michael Derry O'Donoghue (born 18 January 1996) is an Irish[4] professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Colchester United. He joined the Colchester United academy in 2013, having previously progressed through the Reading Academy and the Leyton Orient Academy. He made his professional debut for Colchester in November 2014.

Career

Born in Islington, London,[1] Irishman O'Donoghue joined League One club Colchester United in the summer of 2013, signing from Leyton Orient to begin his two-year scholarship with the club's academy.[4] He had previously been signed to the Reading Academy.[5]

After appearing for Colchester's under-21 Development Squad at the end of the 2012–13 season,[6] O'Donoghue featured in the 2013–14 pre-season with Joe Dunne's first-team, starting in the first-half of their 2–1 win at Heybridge Swifts on 10 July 2013.[7]

During his first season with Colchester, O'Donoghue helped the under-18 side to win a league and cup double. He provided an assist for Macauley Bonne in the Youth Alliance Cup final held against Bradford City at Valley Parade on 29 April 2014 in a 4–2 win for Colchester.[8]

A ruptured achilles tendon injury which ruled Tosin Olufemi out for the entire 2014–15 season meant that O'Donoghue would be back-up only to Ben Gordon at left-back.[9] Following further injuries to Magnus Okuonghae and Frankie Kent, O'Donoghue was named in the starting line-up for Colchester's League One match with Barnsley on 14 November 2014. He made his debut and played the full 90 minutes in the 3–2 defeat at Oakwell.[10] He then set his sights on keeping his place in the team,[11] but found himself pushed out of the starting eleven by Queens Park Rangers loanee Cole Kpekawa.[12]

O'Donoghue was ruled out for the remainder of the season in December 2014 after rupturing cruciate ligaments during a training session.[13] Despite his injury and with his contract expiring in the summer, O'Donoghue signed a one-year extension with Colchester on 8 May 2015.[14]

After a season of recovery from knee surgery during 2015–16, O'Donoghue impressed enough in the development squad to earn himself a new contract, and signed a one-year extension in May 2016.[15]

Career statistics

As of match played 14 November 2014.
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Colchester United 2014–15[16] League One 1000000010
2015–16[17] League One 0000000000
Career total 1000000010

    Honours

    Colchester United U18

    References

    1. 1 2 "Michael O'Donoghue". Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
    2. Michael O'Donoghue career statistics at Soccerbase
    3. "Colchester United". FootballSquads. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
    4. 1 2 "Michael O'Donoghue". Colchester United FC. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
    5. "Micheal Signs for Colchester". Protec Football Academy. 9 September 2013. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
    6. Brammer, Chris (23 April 2013). "Ipswich Town under-21s win at Colchester". East Anglian Daily Times (Ipswich). Retrieved 9 June 2015.
    7. Waldron, Jonathan (10 July 2013). "Eastmond injury is a worry for U's". Daily Gazette (Colchester). Retrieved 9 June 2015.
    8. 1 2 Marston, Carl (30 April 2014). "League-Cup double for super Colchester United Under-18s". East Anglian Daily Times (Ipswich). Retrieved 30 April 2014.
    9. Marston, Carl (4 August 2014). "Colchester United's back-up problem". East Anglian Daily Times (Ipswich). Retrieved 9 June 2015.
    10. Plummer, Matt (14 November 2014). "U's are pipped in a five-goal thriller at Barnsley". Daily Gazette (Colchester). Retrieved 9 June 2015.
    11. "O'Donoghue sets sights on a new milestone for U's". Daily Gazette (Colchester). 21 November 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2015.
    12. Marston, Carl (22 November 2014). "QPR loanee Cole Kpekawa ready to grab his chance at Colchester United". East Anglian Daily Times (Ipswich). Retrieved 9 June 2015.
    13. Marston, Carl (18 December 2014). "Colchester United youngster Michael O'Donoghue out for nine months". East Anglian Daily Times (Ipswich). Retrieved 19 December 2014.
    14. "Trio Sign New Deals". Colchester United FC. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
    15. Gregory, David (6 May 2016). "Young Trio Sign Up". Colchester United FC. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
    16. "Games played by Michael O'Donoghue in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
    17. "Games played by Michael O'Donoghue in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Retrieved 16 November 2014.
    18. "Newsletter 34" (PDF). The Football League. 14 April 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
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