Aston Villa's Tommi O'Reilly celebrates scoring for Crewe Alexandra
Aston Villa's Tommi O'Reilly celebrates scoring for Crewe Alexandra where he's enjoying a bright start to his season-long loan
Aston Villa's midfield prospect Tommi O’Reilly has sealed a season-long loan to Doncaster Rovers after a wealth of clubs chased his signature this summer.
O'Reilly was wanted by a multitude of EFL clubs after an excellent loan spell with Crewe Alexandra last season, a list that included Notts County. But Rovers have won the race to sign Villa's 22-year-old who scored seven goals and chalked up 14 assists in League Two last season.
He will now go straight into Rovers' squad to face Stevenage at the weekend and boss Grant McCann was thrilled to capture his signature.
"Tommi is a really good signing for us, what we like about him is his directness, his ability to drive and take people on, and he's a really tough kid," he said. "He can take the hits and he gets up and keeps going. He played every game for Crewe last season and produced 21 goal contributions. We are delighted to have such an exciting talent added to our squad."
O'Reilly added: "I'm delighted to be here and hopefully I can hit the ground running. I think this a brilliant next step for me in my career. I had a few conversations with the manager before joining, he was really honest and I liked what he said. He spoke very highly of the club, what he expects of me and how I can impact the team. That had a big influence on my decision.
"I'm a creative player and I like to get on the ball and work hard for the team. I want to beat my man and create goals. I just want to help the team."
O’Reilly has already gained valuable experience in the EFL, with loan spells at Shrewsbury Town and MK Dons during the 2024/25 season. He made 18 appearances for the Shrews before making another temporary switch to the Dons in January, where he featured 16 times and scored on his debut against Fleetwood Town.
The 22-year-old has also experienced senior football with Villa, making his first-team debut against HŠK Zrinjski in the UEFA Europa Conference League in December 2023, having progressed through the club’s academy.
A spell with Spanish side Real Unión followed later that season, giving O’Reilly his first taste of football outside of England.
Having established himself as an influential attacking midfielder in the fourth tier last season, O’Reilly now makes the step up with Rovers ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
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