Youngster James Dornelly agrees two-year Professional Development Contract.
Peterborough United are delighted to announce that defender James Dornelly has signed a two-year Professional Development Contract with the club, which will come into full effect on July 1st.
Dornelly, who has been with the club since the age of seven, has been part of the under 18s side that have enjoyed enormous success so far this season, reaching two cup finals and currently sitting third in the table, while also making a few appearances for the under 21s.
The defender, who was joined by his family as he signed his contract at the Weston Homes Stadium, was pleased with the faith shown in him by the club and is hoping to progress further with under 21s next season.
“It’s a really good time for myself and the family,” Dornelly said. “I have been here since I was seven and grateful that the club have shown that faith in me, not only just now but throughout my whole time. It was also special having my family around me, they have been really important from taking me to training, travelling to away games and buying me boots, so if it weren’t for them I wouldn’t be here.
“I also can’t thank Kieran [Scarff], Jamal [Campbell-Ryce] and Ryan [Semple] and the rest of the coaching staff enough for their support. They have helped me develop as a player massively, especially this year. It has been a top season for the under 18s. We started the season slowly slow but we have really kicked on now and looking forward to the two cup finals at the end of the season. I had a few opportunities with the under 21s, but hopefully next season I can start to cement a place in the squad.”
Academy manager Kieran Scarff said: “James has fully deserved this opportunity. He has been with the club for a long time, so he has come through the whole set-up which is brilliant to see. He had a really bad time with injury towards the end of his schoolboy journey and then through the start of his scholarship, but he showed resilience to come back from the seriousness of the injury.
“He has a really good support network around him and his consistency, commitment and drive have been a huge factor in how he has progressed. He has been a key player in the under 18s team this season who have been very successful and we are looking forward to seeing how he progresses over the next two years. It’s full credit to him, his family and the academy staff who have been working hard with him."
