Aaron Donnelly

Aaron Martin Donnelly (born 8 June 2003) is a Northern Irish professional footballer who plays for club Nottingham Forest and the Northern Ireland national team. He turned professional at Nottingham Forest in August 2021. He spent the second half of the 2022–23 season on loan at Port Vale and was loaned out to Dundee for the 2023–24 season.

Early and personal life
Aaron Martin Donnelly was born on 8 June 2003 in Magherafelt to Noel and Martina. He has family from Newcastle upon Tyne and is related to Dec Donnelly. He played gaelic football as a forward growing up.

Nottingham Forest
In June 2019, Donnelly signed a deal with English side Nottingham Forest from Dungannon Swifts, who he had played for since he was twelve. He had been scouted by Gary Brazil and Bob Shaw whilst playing in the Victory Shield. In August 2021, Donnelly signed his first professional contract with Forest. That deal was extended at the end of the 2021–22 season when Forest gained promotion to the Premier League. He made his professional debut for Forest on 23 August 2022, when manager Steve Cooper started him in a 3–0 EFL Cup win over Grimsby Town. In December 2022, Donnelly had extended his contract with Forest.

Port Vale (loan)
On 23 January 2023, Donnelly joined EFL League One side Port Vale on loan for the remainder of the 2022–23 season. Manager Darrell Clarke said that Donnelly would provide competition on the left-side of defence following the departure of Connor Hall earlier in the month and noted that assistant manager Andy Crosby had coached the player with the Northern Ireland under-21s. Donnelly made his debut in the English Football League on 28 January, playing on the left-side of a back three alongside Nathan Smith and Lewis Cass as the Vale kept a clean sheet in a 0–0 draw at Cheltenham Town. On 4 March, he scored his first career goal to secure a 1–0 win over Milton Keynes Dons at Vale Park, and dedicated the goal to a deceased supporter whose memory was being honoured with a minute's applause as Donnelly's volley hit the back of the net.

Dundee (loan)
On 24 July 2023, Donnelly joined Scottish Premiership club Dundee on a season-long loan. Donnelly would suffer an injury in training shortly after, with Dundee manager Tony Docherty saying Donnelly "will be out for a while", and returned to Nottingham for treatment. He returned to Dundee ahead of schedule in September. He made his debut for the Dee on 28 October, starting in a 2–0 league victory away at Livingston. He missed ten weeks due to injury. He was diagnosed with Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome and underwent surgery in January. He said he had a good 2023–24 season despite the initial injury and health scares, making 21 total appearances, helping Dundee achieve a top six finish and earning call-ups to the Northern Ireland senior squad.

International career
Donnelly has competed with the Northern Ireland national team at under-17 and under-21 level. He received his first call-up to the senior side in June 2023. He was again called up in March 2024.

Donnelly made his debut on 11 June 2024 in a friendly against Andorra at Estadio Nueva Condomina in Murcia, Spain. He substituted Ciaron Brown in the 69th minute of a 2–0 victory for Northern Ireland.

Style of play
Donnelly is a left-sided defender who is aggressive in both defence and attack, providing crosses going forward, along with overlaps and underlaps.