Versatile former Chesterfield man Dion Donohue wants to move 'back up north' after two years at Portsmouth

Former Chesterfield player Dion Donohue wants to move 'back up north' after two years with Portsmouth.
Dion Donohue in action as a Spireite before his Pompey moveDion Donohue in action as a Spireite before his Pompey move
Dion Donohue in action as a Spireite before his Pompey move

The versatile 25-year-old, who played in a variety of positions as a Spireite, was sold to Portsmouth for an undisclosed fee in August 2017.

READ: Former Chesterfield players on the move this summer.His first season with Pompey yielded 36 appearances.

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But his second wasn't as productive, thanks to illness and injury.

A bout of glandular fever last summer was followed by a stop-start 2018/19 campaign, which was ended prematurely by a groin injury.

Portsmouth elected not to take up the option of a third year and he's now a free agent.

He told Derbyshire Times sister paper, the Portsmouth News, he was grateful they allowed him to move on without trying to earn a transfer fee.He said: "Everyone knows the club have an option, so they were well within their rights to take it up.

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"From a business point of view, they could easily have tried to get money and done a lot of things to hamper me, but showed me respect.

"I’m grateful there was no malice and everyone was happy with the way it was handled.

"Obviously I’m sad to be leaving, especially following the year I’ve had. I would have liked to have played a lot more and, if that was possible, I would have stayed."

His ability to play in the middle of the park or on the left side of a defence, coupled with the experience 99 Football League appearances will bring, makes it likely that he'll have little trouble finding employment this summer.

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Donohue's preferred next move would take the North Walian closer to home.

"I’ve had a couple of conversions about where I’ll move to, but there's nothing concrete, I just have to wait and see.

"In an ideal world, I would like to go closer to home, back up north, closer to the family now we’ve got two kids. Obviously beggars can’t be choosers."