Doncaster Rovers have confirmed the signing of highly-rated Aston Villa midfielder Tommi O’Reilly on a season-long loan deal.
The Villa youngster becomes Doncaster’s 10th signing of the window and the fourth player to arrive on loan in what has been a busy summer for the South Yorkshire outfit.
Doncaster Rovers have confirmed their 10th signing of the summer transfer windowplaceholder image
Doncaster Rovers have confirmed their 10th signing of the summer transfer window | HeatherKingPhotography-
Grant McCann’s side were one of a number of League One sides interested in the Birmingham-born midfielder following a hugely impressive loan spell in League Two which saw him register seven goals and 14 assists for Crewe Alexander, while notably being named the club’s Player of the Season for the 2025/26 campaign.
O’Reilly, who has also previously had loan stints at the likes of MK Dons, Shrewsbury Town and Real Union was the subject of heavy interest from Sheffield Wednesday over the summer, but has now decided that the next chapter of his career will be at Doncaster Rovers.
The 22-year-old told club media: "I'm delighted to be here and hopefully I can hit the ground running. I think this is 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, an FA Youth Cup winner with Villa in 2021, can play both as a central-attacking midfielder and as a right-winger - meaning he could well find himself becoming the club’s natural successor to Luke Molyneux in terms of creativity after the 28-year-old’s exit to Salford City earlier in the summer.
Grant McCann expressed his excitement at getting the deal over the line. He said: "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 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."