Donnellan hamstrung by continuing injury niggles
Maidenhead United’s Shaun Donnellan is enthusiastic about travelling to FC Halifax Town this weekend for the side’s FA Cup clash, but the player said he will not be featuring in the line-up or on the bench due to an enduring hamstring injury.
After having an operation in January, the 25year-old had hoped for a more consistent campaign in the National League when it began in the summer. However, speaking to the Advertiser earlier this week, Donnellan revealed he has still been playing in pain.
Out of the 13 league games the Magpies have played this season, he has featured in four of them – notably as a right-back – including the weekend’s match against Eastleigh in which he played the full 90 minutes.
“It’s incredibly frustrating how stop-start this season has been for me,” said Donnellan.
“I’m still getting problems with my hamstring and I’m out again this weekend. I won’t be fit and I’m playing in pain again.
“There is still something going on, they just can’t seem to work it out.
“I first picked up the injury when I was 17years-old. I didn’t realise the extent of the injury until I saw the surgeon and he said I was playing with a hamstring avulsion for a seriously long amount of time.
“He said this was a career-ending problem and I needed to have surgery. They’ve sewn the tendon back onto the bone, but it is still giving me problems. For seven years, I was playing with a tendon off the bone.”
He added: “I’m getting an MRI today (Wednesday) so hopefully the news I get back is positive. If the specialist says nothing is wrong, then I might train Thursday. But, if it’s serious, then I don’t know. If I can travel [to FC
Halfiax Town], then I will travel.”
On his day, Donnellan backs himself as a very good player in the National League, and evidence of that claim has been shown during his time at York Road – the volley against Bromley (November 2020) springing to mind.
“If I can get myself physically right, I genuinely believe I am a very good player in this division,” he said.
“Even when I am basically playing with one leg, I think I can play very well.
“Hopefully when I do get through this period of injury, I’ll be able to repay the gaffer, the club, and the chairman because they have helped me out massively in a lot of ways.
“I owe a lot to Dev (Alan Devonshire) and Maidenhead United.”