Full name Janoi Donacien Name Janoi Donacien Role Footballer | Number 12 Height 1.83 m –2010 Luton Town Weight 75 kg | |
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Date of birth (1993-11-03) 3 November 1993 (age 22) Playing position Current team Newport County A.F.C. (#12 / Defender) | ||
Place of birth Castries, Saint Lucia | ||
Janoi Donacien (born 3 November 1993) is a Saint Lucian professional footballer who plays for Accrington Stanley. Usually a centre back, he is also capable of playing at right back and right wing back. Born in Saint Lucia, he previously played for the academy sides of Luton Town and briefly Tottenham Hotspur before joining the Aston Villa Academy for six years. He was loaned from Aston Villa to Tranmere Rovers and Wycombe Wanderers and spent the majority of the 2015–16 season on loan at Newport County in League Two before joining Accrington Stanley on a permanent deal.
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Club career
Donacien moved to the United Kingdom from St. Lucia with his family in 2001 and played youth football for Luton Town. He also spent a brief spell at Tottenham Hotspur, representing the club in the 2010 Milk Cup, prior to joining the Aston Villa Academy in 2010.
Aston Villa
Donacien represented Villa in youth, reserves and NextGen Series competitions. He was a member of Villa's NextGen Series-winning team during the 2012–13 season. Donacien played his first games for the senior team ahead during the pre-season ahead for the 2013-14 Premier League season, making his non-competitive debut against Wycombe Wanderers on 22 July 2013. Donacien was awarded a place in the first team squad and the squad number 32, he went on to be named on the first team's bench twice during the 2013–14 season, once in the Premier League against Sunderland and in the FA Cup against Sheffield United.
Loan moves
Donacien was loaned to Tranmere Rovers in August 2014 and made his professional debut in a 2–1 home win against Morecambe on 30 August 2014. He turned out regularly at both centre back and right wing back for Tranmere over the season with a brief spell back at Villa Park after the January transfer window, the side finished bottom of League Two, being relegated the National League. On 21 August 2015 he signed a one-month loan deal with Wycombe Wanderers, during which he played two League Two games. On 24 September 2015 he joined Newport County on loan. He made his debut for Newport on 26 September in the starting line-up for the League Two match against Carlisle United. In January 2016 the loan was extended to the end of the 2015–16 season.
Accrington Stanley
On 5 August 2016 Donacien signed for Accrington Stanley. He scored his first goal for Accrington on 29 October 2016 in the 3–1 League Two defeat against Newport County.
International career
In March 2015, Donacien stated his desire to represent St. Lucia internationally in the near future.
Personal life
Donacien's immigration status made national headlines in 2012 as he and his family were denied permanent residency by the United Kingdom Home Office. Donacien and his family were granted three years of discretionary leave to remain in the United Kingdom in 2012.