Career
He joined the Colchester United academy in 2013, having previously progressed through the Reading Academy and the Leyton Orient Academy. He made his professional debut for Colchester in November 2014. Born in Islington, London, Irishman O'Donoghue joined League One club Colchester United in the summer of 2013, signing from Leyton Orient to begin his two-year scholarship with the club's academy.
He had previously been signed to the Reading Academy. A ruptured achilles tendon injury which ruled Tosin Olufemi out for the entire 2014–15 season meant that O'Donoghue would be back-up only to Ben Gordon at left-back. Following further injuries to Magnus Okuonghae and Frankie Kent, O'Donoghue was named in the starting line-up for Colchester's League One match with Barnsley on 14 November 2014.
He made his debut and played the full 90 minutes in the 3–2 defeat at Oakwell. He then set his sights on keeping his place in the team, but found himself pushed out of the starting eleven by Queens Park Rangers loanee Cole Kpekawa. O'Donoghue was ruled out for the remainder of the season in December 2014 after rupturing cruciate ligaments during a training session.
Despite his injury and with his contract expiring in the summer, O'Donoghue signed a one-year extension with Colchester on 8 May 2015.
