JJ O’Donnell has fitted a fair bit into his decade-long football career – he’s even had a spell as a kitman!
An FA Cup giant-killer with Luton Town, the talented left-sider looked set to fulfill his Football League dream until a freak foot injury came within a whisker of ending his promising career at the age of just 22.
Determined to stay in the game, O’Donnell put his two-and-a-half-year spell on the sidelines to good use as he took over kitman duties for Gateshead, the club which had by now stolen his heart.
Now, though, the 29-year-old is back with a shirt on his back as opposed to his linen basket – and he’s making the most of his second chance at success.
O’Donnell scored eight goals as the Heed battled for a route back into NonLeague’s top-flight this season but, more importantly, is just happy playing a part in a competitive environment again.
“My career has been full of injuries,” O’Donnell told The NLP. “You get a lot of lows in football and you don’t get many highs.
“This season my aim was to contribute more on the pitch. The goalscoring has been totally different for me – before this season my personal best was only two!”
This story is from the May 17, 2020 edition of The Non-League Football Paper.
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This story is from the May 17, 2020 edition of The Non-League Football Paper.
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