Education
Donnelly graduated through the Portuguese Vale youth team, and turned professional under Brian Horton.
Donnelly graduated through the Portuguese Vale youth team, and turned professional under Brian Horton.
He played eleven games in the Football League for Portuguese Vale between 1998 and 2002. Following this he played non-league football for Stone Dominoes until 2005, at which point he signed. Three years later he signed via Witton Albion.
He moved on to Stafford Rangers in 2011, before joining Kidsgrove Athletic the following year.
He signed with Leek Town in July 2013, before returning to Kidsgrove Athletic in May 2015. He made four First Division appearances in the 1999–2000 relegation season, and featured once in the Second Division in 2000-2001, before he was released from Vale Park after playing eight league and cup games in 2001-2002.
He dropped out of the Football League in July 2002 to sign for Stone Dominoes of the North West Counties Football League. He stayed for three years before joining Nantwich Town in 2005.
In all he played 95 games before joining Witton Albion three years later.
In December 2008 he signed. He impressed at Town, winning the attention of Kidsgrove Athletic, however the Newcastle captain turned down the chance to play at a higher level, instead choosing to stay with Town. Town finished 24 points clear of second place New Mills.
In 2010-2011 he led Town to a second-place finish, though they lost 3–0 to Grantham Town in the play-off semi-finals.
In 2011 he joined Northern Premier League Premier Division side Stafford Rangers, whilst also working as an administrator at Staffordshire University. He captained Rangers to a 16th-place finish in 2011-2012.
He left the club in May 2012. Two months later, he signed with Kidsgrove Athletic.
He helped "Kiddy" to an 18th-place finish in the Northern Premier League Division One South in 2012-2013.
He signed with league rivals Leek Town in July 2013. He helped the "Blues" to secure a play-off spot with a third-place finish in 2013-2014, where they were knocked out by Belper Town at Harrison Park. They again reached the play-offs in 2014-2015, losing to Sutton Coldfield Town in the final.
Donnelley re-joined Kidsgrove Athletic in May 2015 after being signed by manager Peter Ward. with Stone Dominoes.