Colchester United Bolster Defence with Loan Signing of Donnelly
Colchester United have strengthened their defensive options with the signing of young defender Aaron Donnelly on loan from Nottingham Forest. The 21-year-old left-back joins the U's for the remainder of the 2024/25 season and could make his debut in tonight's Carabao Cup clash with Brentford.
The club announced the capture of Donnelly prior to the cup match, with the player assigned squad number 25.
"I spoke to the gaffer and his coaching staff and it was a really productive chat," Donnelly told cu-fc.com on Tuesday. "They had nothing but good things to say about the club, and the players around the club. Iâm really looking forward to get going."
He added: "The boys have been excellent from when I came in. Trained this morning, a really good intensity and Iâm ready for the game tomorrow night. I just want to go out and express myself, show the fans and the gaffer what I can do and Iâm really looking forward to it."
Donnelly has been a part of the Nottingham Forest set-up since 2019, having joined from Northern Irish side Dungannon Swifts. He made his professional debut for the Reds in 2022, featuring in their EFL Cup win over Grimsby Town.
After signing his first professional contract with Forest in 2021, Donnelly gained valuable experience on loan spells with Port Vale and Dundee. He made 20 appearances for Vale, scoring once, and went on to play 21 times for Dundee in the Scottish Premiership, helping them secure a top-six finish. His performances at Dundee earned him a senior international call-up for Northern Ireland, for whom he made his debut earlier this summer in a match against Andorra.
This latest move sees Donnelly join Colchester as their 12th summer signing, adding further depth to their squad ahead of tomorrow's transfer deadline. He will provide competition for places in the U's defence as they aim to climb the League Two table.
