Liam Donnelly, born on the 7th of March 1996 in Northern Ireland, is a hard-nosed midfielder celebrated for his central defensive talents, currently bringing his skills to bear for Kilmarnock. Possessing an imposing physical presence at 5ft 11in (1.81m) tall and tipping the scales at 12st 6lb (79kg), he is a stalwart figure in the number 22 jersey.
He broke into the professional ranks in July 2011, signing with Dungannon Swifts in Northern Ireland's Premiership, where he made a decent first impression, making seven appearances in his debut season (2011-2012).
His performances must have caught some eyeballs across the water as he transferred to Fulham in the English Premier League in July 2012 for an undisclosed fee. Three years later, in July 2015, he was sent on loan to Crawley Town in League One, where he made another ten appearances.
In August 2016, Donnelly made another move. This time to Hartlepool United in England's National League where, across two seasons (2016-2017, 2017-2018), he played 54 league matches and scored two goals.
Donnelly's career next took him north of the border, signing with Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership in July 2018, also for an undisclosed fee. Over the span of four seasons (2018-2019 to 2021-2022), Donnelly reinforced his reputation as a reliable performer, making a total of 53 appearances and netting eight goals.
He then transferred to Kilmarnock in Scotland's Premiership in July 2022, where he continues to ply his trade. Since his arrival, he's made a total of 56 appearances over three seasons, scoring two goals in the process. In the current season (2024-2025), he's already made seven appearances.
Aside from his league contributions, Donnelly has also been a key player in cup competitions, having featured in the 2024-2025 League Cup for Kilmarnock with a single substitute appearance, the Scottish Cup (2023-2024) with a solitary start and two substitute appearances, and the Conference League Qualifiers (2024-2025) where he started on four occasions.
Across the various fronts, Donnelly has consistently shown himself to be a valuable asset and a cool head in central midfield, with many key appearances under his belt, despite still being in the prime of his playing career.
