Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough reveals admiration for Nottingham Forest midfielder Jamie McDonnell after season loan is agreed
Nigel Clough believes new loan signing Jamie McDonnell will bring some valuable aggression to Mansfield Town this season.
McDonnell made his first appearance for Stags in the 3-3 draw against Middlesbrough after joining the club on a season-long loan from Nottingham Forest the previous day.
And delighted Clough believes the 21 year-old, who spent last season on loan at Colchester United, has already shown glimpses of what he can do.
“We have had our eye on him for two or three seasons now and have been very impressed with his progress at Forest,” revealed Clough.
“I think he had a choice of a lot of clubs to go to in League One, and even one or two in the Championship, but he has chosen to come to us.
“He is very aggressive in winning the ball back, which is something we felt we lacked last season.
“Going forward we create chances, we score goals - we know that. We need to be more solid at the other end and having that defensive midfielder in front of the defence is going to benefit us.
“You can see, even in the first 30 minutes or so, the benefits he is going to bring.
“He’s a little bit behind because Forest are starting the season later but he will build up the minutes and I think we have a very strong midfielder.”
McDonnell captained The Reds' under-18s side to their first-ever FA Youth Cup final in 2022 against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
He spent the 2024/25 season with Colchester United, making 32 appearances in Sky Bet League Two during a successful loan spell with The U’s.
The battling midfielder has also represented his country Northern Ireland across the age groups, most recently for the under-21s, featuring five times in his nation’s UEFA European under-21 Championship Qualifying campaign.