Where Are They Now…Ciaran Donnelly

Full Name: Ciaran Donnelly
Date of Birth: 2nd April 1984, Blackpool
Nationality: English
Position: Midfielder
Internationals: Capped for England at Youth level
Signed: August 2002 (First professional contract after initially being a trainee)
Left: March 2005 (free transfer to Blackpool)
Clubs (Prior to Rovers): None (After Rovers): Blackpool

Ciaran Donnelly came to Blackburn Rovers as a trainee, but where did it all begin and where is he now…

The midfielder started out his footballing career with Rovers so that is where it began! Promising as a youngster with the Rovers Youth Academy he however failed to make the break through and eventually left without making a first team appearance during his time at Ewood Park.

The highlight of Donnelly's Rovers career proved to be his involvement with the successful Rovers Youth side of the 2000-2001 season, reaching the 2001 Youth Cup Final.

Rovers lost the first leg 5-0 to an Arsenal side that included the likes of now Germany International Moritz Volz (now with Fulham), Steve Sidwell (in the Premiership with Reading), Rohan Ricketts (moved onto Tottenham Hotspur now with Wolverhampton Wanderers), Jerome Thomas (now at Charlton Athletic), Jermaine Pennant (now Liverpool) and Jeremie Aliadiere and Justin Hoyte both of whom are sill with Arsenal and have both played first team football this season. Rovers won the second leg 3-1 losing 6-3 on aggregate.

Donnelly had a successful two month loan spell with his hometown club of Blackpool in the 2003-2004 season before making the permanent switch to the club on a free transfer in March 2005 during the 2004-2005 season.

First team action has been hard for the midfielder to come across with him only making eight appearances during the 2004-2005 season. He made twenty six in all competitions scoring two goals in the 2005-2006 season though. He has only made the one appearance, at the end of October 2006 during the 2006-2007 season thus far.

The above information is as accurate to my knowledge as possible, up to and including 9th November 2006.

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