Liam Donnelly (footballer)
Northern Irish footballer (born 1996)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Liam Francis Peadar Donnelly (born 7 March 1996) is a Northern Irish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Scottish Premiership club St Mirren.
|
Donnelly playing for Fulham U21s in 2015 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Liam Francis Peadar Donnelly[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 7 March 1996[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Dungannon, Northern Ireland | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[2] | ||
| Positions | |||
| Team information | |||
Current team | St Mirren | ||
| Number | 4 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Dungannon Swifts | |||
| 2012–2014 | Fulham | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2011–2012 | Dungannon Swifts | 7 | (0) |
| 2012–2016 | Fulham | 0 | (0) |
| 2015 | → Crawley Town (loan) | 10 | (0) |
| 2016–2018 | Hartlepool United | 60 | (3) |
| 2018–2022 | Motherwell | 53 | (8) |
| 2022–2025 | Kilmarnock | 74 | (3) |
| 2025– | St Mirren | 6 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| Northern Ireland U16 | 3 | (1) | |
| Northern Ireland U17 | 14 | (1) | |
| 2012–2018 | Northern Ireland U21 | 24 | (5) |
| 2014– | Northern Ireland | 4 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 29 December 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 14:48, 29 August 2024 (UTC) | |||
Donnelly, who can also play as a defender, has previously played for Dungannon Swifts, Fulham, Crawley Town, Hartlepool United, Motherwell and Kilmarnock. He has also represented Northern Ireland internationally.
Club career
Fulham
Donnelly signed for Fulham as a youngster from IFA Premiership club Dungannon Swifts. Donnelly captained Fulham to the 2014 FA Youth Cup final.[3]
On 31 July 2015, Donnelly signed for Crawley Town on a one-month youth loan.[4] The loan was then extended until January 2016,[5] however he was recalled early by Fulham in October.[6]
Hartlepool United
On 19 August 2016, Donnelly signed for Hartlepool United, following his release from Fulham.[7]
Motherwell
On 7 June 2018, Motherwell announced the signing of Donnelly on an initial two-year contract from Hartlepool United for an undisclosed fee.[8] He scored his first goal for the club in a 3–2 victory against Livingston on the final day of the season.[9]
At the beginning of the 2019–20 season, Donnelly moved from defence into midfield,[10] and went on to score four goals in three games in the Scottish League Cup group stages, against Queen of the South,[11] Greenock Morton[12] and Annan Athletic.[13] Then in the league, he scored four goals in the opening four matches, with two against Celtic[14] and penalties against Hamilton Academical[15] and Hibernian.[16] In October 2019, Donnelly was rewarded for his early season form as he signed an extension to his contract at Fir Park, to run until summer 2022.[17]
In the opening game of the 2020–21 season, Donnelly missed a penalty as Motherwell lost 1–0 away to Ross County.[18] Following that match he picked up a knee injury in training which was initially expected to keep him out for two months,[19] however he then required surgery on the injury, ruling him out until after the new year.[20]
Donnelly made his return from injury on 14 July 2021, as a substitute in a 1–0 win away to Queen's Park in a Scottish League Cup group stage match.[21] He was released by Motherwell at the end of the 2021–22 season.
Kilmarnock
On 5 July 2022, Donnelly signed a one-year contract with Kilmarnock.[22] On 1 August 2023, he signed a new two-year contract with Kilmarnock.[23]
St Mirren
Donnelly signed a two-year contract with St Mirren in June 2025.[24]
International career
Donnelly made his senior Northern Ireland debut on 4 June 2014 against Chile, coming on as a substitute in the 89th minute.[25]
On 11 September 2018, Donnelly made his 22nd appearance for Northern Ireland's under-21s in a 2–1 win away to Spain, a match in which he scored from a penalty, and in doing so became the nation's record cap holder at that level.[26] He eventually finished his time with the under-21 side with 24 caps.[27]
Donnelly was recalled to the senior squad in August 2019, ahead of a friendly against Luxembourg and a Euro 2020 qualifier against Germany.[28] He came on as a substitute against Luxembourg on 5 September, earning his second cap, five years after his first.[29][30]
Career statistics
- As of match played 20 May 2023
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Dungannon Swifts | 2011–12[31] | IFA Premiership | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Fulham | 2012–13[32] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013–14[33] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014–15[34] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2015–16[35] | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Crawley Town (loan) | 2015–16[35] | League Two | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Hartlepool United | 2016–17[36] | League Two | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[b] | 0 | 33 | 0 |
| 2017–18[37] | National League | 28 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 30 | 3 | |
| Total | 60 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 63 | 3 | ||
| Motherwell | 2018–19[38] | Scottish Premiership | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 |
| 2019–20[39] | Scottish Premiership | 22 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 11 | |
| 2020–21[40] | Scottish Premiership | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2021–22[41] | Scottish Premiership | 23 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 1 | |
| Total | 53 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 71 | 13 | ||
| Kilmarnock | 2022–23[42] | Scottish Premiership | 22 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 3 |
| 2023–24[43] | Scottish Premiership | 27 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 0 | |
| Career total | 179 | 13 | 11 | 1 | 18 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 211 | 19 | ||
- Appearance(s) in the Football League Trophy
- Appearance(s) in the EFL Trophy
