Peterborough United have announced that defender James Dornelly has signed a two-year Professional Development Contract.
Dornelly joined the club at the age of seven and has been a key figure for the U18s this season who have reached two cup finals and sit third in the PDL North division. He has also represented the U21s on a handful of occasions.
Dornelly said: “It’s a really good time for myself and the family. I have been here since I was seven and I’m 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 U18s. We started the season slowly 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 U21s, but hopefully next season I can start to cement a place in the squad.”
Academy manager Kieran Scarff added: “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.”
