| James O'Connor | ||
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | James Francis E. O'Connor | |
| Date of birth | 20 November 1984 | |
| Place of birth | Birmingham, England | |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | |
| Playing position | Defender | |
| Club information | ||
| Current club | Doncaster Rovers | |
| Number | 2 | |
| Youth career | ||
| 1997–2004 | Aston Villa | |
| Senior career1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 2004–2005 2004 2005 2005–2006 2006– |
Aston Villa → Port Vale (loan) → Bournemouth (loan) Bournemouth Doncaster Rovers |
0 (0) 13 (0) 6 (0) 39 (1) 116 (2) |
|
1 Senior club appearances and goals |
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James Francis E. O'Connor (born 20 November 1984 in Birmingham) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for Doncaster Rovers.
Contents |
Career
Aston Villa
O'Connor went to Wheelers Lane Boys School in Birmingham between 1996 and 2001. P.E teacher Mr Alan Miller joined the Aston Villa youth set-up in 1997 and recommended O'Connor, who then was known as a creative midfield player. O'Connor joined Aston Villa and established himself as a strong defender, featuring in the 2002 FA Youth Cup win. He missed the first leg of the semi-final but returned to face a Wayne Rooney-inspired Everton in the final after a car crash early in the year had ruled him out for a number of months. A loan spell at Port Vale allowed him to gain first team experience.[1]
Bournemouth
Not making the grade at Villa, he joined Bournemouth on loan at the start of the 2004–05 season[2] and in January 2005 signed permanently, after Villa agreed to a free transfer.[3] O'Connor quickly became an integral part of the team and first team regular, making his name as a tough tackler and promising player.
Doncaster Rovers
In May 2006, he was sold to Doncaster Rovers for £130,000 due to Bournemouth's financial difficulties.[4] He made a very good start to his Rovers career in the 2006–07 season with consistent performances throughout the season in defence. In the 2007–08 season, O'Connor began to excel in the Doncaster side, playing in the right-back slot, providing width and speed to the Rovers attacks, as well as playing his part as a key player in a solid defence. O'Connor's first goal in his Doncaster career was the third of a resounding 4–0 victory away at Brentford in December 2006.
O'Connor pledged his future to Doncaster in July 2008 by signing an extension to his contract, ensuring him a place at the club until at least 2011.[5]
Honours
- with Aston Villa
- FA Youth Cup winner: 2002
- with Doncaster Rovers
- Football League Trophy winner: 2007
- League 1 Playoffs winner: 2008
References
- ^ "Vale to sign Villa defender". BBC Sport. 2 September, 2004. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/p/port_vale/3622390.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-16.
- ^ "O'Connor seals Cherries loan move". BBC Sport. 18 February, 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/b/bournemouth/4278159.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-16.
- ^ "O'Connor seals Bournemouth switch". BBC Sport. 24 March, 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/b/bournemouth/4379421.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-16.
- ^ "Doncaster sign defender O'Connor". BBC Sport. 17 May 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/d/doncaster/4989190.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-16.
- ^ "Doncaster tie up Mills transfer". BBC Sport. 31 July 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/d/doncaster/7532525.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-16.
External links
- James O'Connor player profile at doncasterroversfc.co.uk
- James O'Connor career stats at Soccerbase
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