Aaron O'Connor

Aaron O'Connor

O'Connor playing for Luton Town in 2011
Personal information
Full name Aaron Derek O'Connor[1]
Date of birth (1983-08-09) 9 August 1983
Place of birth Nottingham, England
Height 170 cm (5 ft 7 in)
Playing position Striker
Club information
Current team
 Kettering Town
Number 10
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2002 Ilkeston Town 1 (0)
2002–2003 Scunthorpe United 3 (0)
2003 Nuneaton Borough
2003–2004 Ilkeston Town
2004–2007 Gresley Rovers
2007–2008 Grays Athletic 63 (8)
2008–2009 Mansfield Town 39 (8)
2009–2011 Rushden & Diamonds 75 (24)
2011–2012 Luton Town 34 (5)
2012–2015 Newport County 82 (29)
2015–2016 Forest Green Rovers 20 (9)
2016 → Stevenage (loan) 3 (0)
2016 Stevenage 10 (1)
2016– Kettering Town 37 (15)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 09:22 30 March 2017 (UTC).

Aaron Derek O'Connor (born 9 August 1983) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker.

Career

Born in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, O'Connor started his career at Ilkeston Town before moving to Third Division side Scunthorpe United on 12 December 2002. However, O'Connor featured in just three games as a substitute. Manager Brian Laws released the 19-year-old in February 2003, claiming he did not have the right attitude for the professional club.[2]

O'Connor had a brief spell at Nuneaton Borough at the start of the 2003–04 season, before moving back to Ilkeston. He then moved onto Gresley Rovers in July 2004.[3] He spent two seasons at Gresley, winning the Player's Player of The Year, Manager's Player of The Year and Supporter's Player of The Year awards in both seasons. He had a two-week trial with Rushden & Diamonds in June 2006.[4]

Grays Athletic announced the signing of O'Connor on 5 January 2007,[5] and he made his debut the following day against Southport in the Conference National. Despite being offered a new contract for the 2008–09 season, he did not sign and subsequently was released.[6] He was signed by Mansfield Town on 8 August 2008,[7] where he made 39 appearances in the Conference Premier, scoring eight goals. He was released at the end of the 2008–09 season.[8]

On 17 June 2009, O'Connor signed for Rushden & Diamonds on a one-year contract.[9] He signed a one-year contract extension in May 2010.[10] Over the course of two seasons, in which he was appointed Rushden's club captain, O'Connor scored 27 goals in 78 games.

O'Connor left Rushden & Diamonds and joined Luton Town on a free transfer on 6 June 2011.[11]

In July 2012, O'Connor was reunited with former Rushden & Diamonds manager Justin Edinburgh when he signed for Newport County.[12] In August 2012 O'Connor was selected as Conference Player of the Month after Newport County won all five of their opening matches of the 2012–13 season with O'Connor scoring six goals.[13] He was part of the Newport team that finished third in the league, reaching the Conference Premier play-offs. Newport won the 2013 Conference Premier play-off Final versus Wrexham at Wembley Stadium 2–0 to return to the Football League after a 25-year absence with promotion to League Two. O'Connor scored the second goal.[14] He was released by Newport in May 2015 at the end of his contract.[15]

On 12 June 2015, he joined National League club Forest Green Rovers on a one-year deal.[16] He made his debut for the club on the opening day of the 2015-16 season in a 1-0 away win against Altrincham.[17] His first goal followed in his second appearance, as his first half strike against Welling United at The New Lawn proved to be enough to secure a 1-0 victory.[18]

He joined League Two side Stevenage on a one-month loan on 15 January 2016.[19] He made his Stevenage debut the following day on 16 January 2016, playing 81 minutes in a 3-2 away loss against Plymouth Argyle.[20] On 1 February 2016, he secured a permanent move to Stevenage after he had his contract cancelled by Forest Green by mutual consent.[21] He was released by Stevenage in May 2016.[22]

References

  1. ↑ "The Football League Retained List". The Football League. 8 July 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  2. ↑ "Laws advice for O'Connor". BBC Sport. 11 February 2003. Retrieved 18 July 2007.
  3. ↑ "Rovers get their man". Non-League Daily. 15 July 2004. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 13 August 2007.
  4. ↑ "Hart will look at Gresley striker". BBC Sport. 2 June 2006. Retrieved 13 August 2007.
  5. ↑ "Grays complete deal for O'Connor". BBC Sport. 5 January 2007. Retrieved 16 July 2007.
  6. ↑ "Player News". Grays Athletic F.C. 3 July 2007. Archived from the original on 6 January 2009.
  7. ↑ "Stags boosted by late signings". Mansfield Town F.C. 8 August 2008. Archived from the original on 12 December 2008.
  8. ↑ John Lomas (11 May 2009). "Trio signed, but other Stags free to go". Mansfield Chad. Retrieved 1 June 2009.
  9. ↑ "Diamonds tie up O'Connor signing". BBC Sport. 17 June 2009. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
  10. ↑ "Aaron O'Connor agrees deal at Rushden & Diamonds". BBC Sport. 26 May 2010. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
  11. ↑ "Luton Town swoop for striker Aaron O'Connor". BBC Sport. 6 June 2011. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
  12. ↑ O'Connor joins Newport
  13. ↑ Conference Player of the Month
  14. ↑ Hughes, Dewi (5 May 2013). "Wrexham 0–2 Newport". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 May 2013.
  15. ↑ Newport players released
  16. ↑ "Forest Green sign former Newport County striker". BBC Sport. 12 June 2015. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  17. ↑ "Altrincham 0-1 Forest Green". BBC Sport. 8 August 2015.
  18. ↑ "Forest Green 1-0 Welling United". BBC Sport. 11 August 2015.
  19. ↑ "Aaron O'Connor: Forest Green Rovers striker joins Stevenage". BBC Sport. 15 January 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  20. ↑ "Plymouth Argyle 3-2 Stevenage". BBC Sport. 16 January 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  21. ↑ "Stevenage bring in Aaron O'Connor, Pat Hoban and Ryan Hedges". BBC Sport. 1 February 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  22. ↑ O'Connor released by Stevenage
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