User:Sunderland06/Gavin Donoghue

Gavin Donoghue (born 3 March 1989 in Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish footballer who is a central defender. He has played organised football since he was five years old. Previously, he played for the Ratcoole Boys Club and for Cherry Orchard. Sunderland's former manager, Mick McCarthy, brought him to the team. Donoghue was part of the Sunderland U18 team that played in the F.A. Premier Academy U18 in 2007, he played for Ireland at the junior level, and he played Gaelic football in Ireland.

Early career
In 1994, Donoghue began playing with the Rathcoole Boys Club, a school team, at the age of five. He continued with the team for five seasons before moving to Cherry Orchard in Ballyfermot, Dublin at the age of nine.

Donoghue played with Cherry Orchard beginning at the under-nine level and finishing at the under-sixteen level. He was also part of the 2001 Dublin and District School Boys League (DDSL) Kennedy Cup team and has played for Ireland at the junior level, including as captain. When playing Gaelic football in his early teens, he with Round Tower GAA Club and St. Judes GAA Club whilst in his early teens. At one time, he turned out for both the under-13 Dublin Gaelic team and the under-13 DDSL team.

Following trials with Leeds United, Manchester City, Charlton Athletic, Preston North End, and Sunderland, he decided to move to Wearside in favour of Premier League clubs, and signed on a Youth Training Scheme (YTS) contract with Sunderland in 2004. Two years later, Donoghue was nominated for the Under-16 [Football Association of Ireland|FAI]]/eircom player of the year for the 2006-7 season, an award given to the best performing Irish youth player of the year under the age of 16, given by FAI and eircom.

Sunderland
Following Donoghue's first season at Sunderland, when he played regularly for the under-18 and reserve team sides, he broke the fifth metatarsal bone on his left foot in a reserve match against Newcastle United in 2006. Following his recovery, he broke the same bone in early November 2006 and was sidelined for eight months. He eventually needed a bone graft to repair the damage.

Donoghue's efforts to recover from his serious injury were rewarded by his manager Roy Keane, who extended his YTS contract with the club until December 2007. In 2007, he was included in the team's first pre-season tour of Ireland. He played in a 4–0 friendly win against Galway United, and was an unused substitute in the 1–0 win over Bohemian F.C. Donoghue played regular reserve team football during the 2007–08 season for Sunderland and scored two goals: a header against Newcastle United, and a 25-yard shot against Wearside League Division Premier team Wolviston in the Newton Moor Durham County Challenge Cup.

Although Donoghue was in Sunderland's first team squad, he remained on the fringes and most of his football came in the Sunderland U18s and reserves teams. Donoghue was named in Sunderland's squad of sixteen for the first time on 28 August 2007 for the the 3–0 Luton defeat; however, he was an unused substitute. Roy Keane released Donoghue at the end of the 2007–08 season as a youth player along with Jack Pelter, Billy Dennehy and Jake Richardson.

Sunderland under-18s
Donoghue was part of the Sunderland U18s that reached the F.A. Premier Academy U18 final, against Leicester City in front of 5,000 spectators on 20 May 2007 at the Stadium of Light. He missed a penalty in the shoot-out after the match ended 2–2.

International career
Donoghue represented Ireland at the under-15, under-17, and under-19 levels, making his debut for the under-17 team in a 2–0 win over England's under-17 team on 7 August 2005 at the Laugardalsvöllur stadium in Reykjavik in the under-17 Nordic tournament. He played in a 1–0 win over Holland's under-17 team in the Algarve tournament on 1 March 2007 with Cillian Sheridan scoring the only goal.

He also featured in both 2–1 defeats against Chile's under-19 team. Both matches were played in Athlone Towns's Lissywoolen Stadium, the first on 7 August 2007, and the second on 9 August 2007. He was also involved in the under-19 squad's two matches against the Czech Republic's under-19 team and started both games; the first being on 5 January with Ireland being beaten 1–0 at Drogheda United's United Park stadium, and he also appeared in the second game where Ireland were beaten for the second time in 48 hours, 2–0 at Home Farm's stadium.