Jamie McDonnell – Mansfield Town
🤩 Jamie McDonnell’s eight-minute brace. ✌️ pic.twitter.com/J7clKFT8Cd
— Mansfield Town FC (@mansfieldtownfc) August 20, 2025
This might be pie in the sky, certainly for this season, because while McDonnell is at Mansfield, he belongs to Forest. He’s there on loan, along with Joe Gardner, and of the two, the midfielder is the one I’d love here. I’m getting a bit bored of saying it, but every time I see him, look at his stats or talk about him, he seems to have got better.
The Northern Ireland youngster moved from Lisburn Youth and Glentoran to Nottingham Forest at 16, where he captained the under 18 side and earned a long term contract as one of the more promising midfielders in their system. With senior openings limited at Forest, a loan to Colchester United in 2024 became the platform he needed. He played regularly, added his first goal, and showed he could cope with the tempo and physicality of senior football.
That progress caught the eye of Mansfield Town, who secured him for the 2025 campaign. He has slotted into their midfield with maturity, covering ground, breaking up play, and timing his runs into the box with growing confidence.
He’d fit lovely alongside Ivan Varfolomeev in our Championship squad, and you never know, if we were to go up, perhaps we’d have a chance. beyond that? Not much, as his next move is sure to be second tier.