Janoi Denzil Naieme Donacien (born 3 November 1993) is a Saint Lucian professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who plays as a
defender for club
Chesterfield, and represents the
Saint Lucia national team. A versatile player, he is capable of playing at
full-back and
centre-back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Defenders fall into four main categories: centre-backs, full-backs, sweepers ...
.
Born in
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean. Part of the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines), Saint Vincent ...
, Donacien moved to
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
at the age of eight. He began his football career in the academy at
Luton Town
Luton Town Football Club is a professional association football, football club from Luton, Bedfordshire, England. The club currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. Nicknamed "The Hatters", L ...
in 2005. He spent five years in the academy at Luton, going on to spend a brief spell in the youth set up at
Tottenham Hotspur in 2010 before joining the
Aston Villa Academy later that year. He spent six years at Aston Villa, working his way through the club's academy whilst also spending time out on loan at
Tranmere Rovers,
Wycombe Wanderers and
Newport County during his time at
Villa Park
Villa Park is a association football, football stadium in Aston, Birmingham, with a seating capacity of 42,918. It has been the home of Premier League club Aston Villa F.C., Aston Villa since 1897. The ground is less than a mile from both Witt ...
. He moved on a permanent deal to
Accrington Stanley in 2016, going onto win the
EFL League Two
The English Football League Two, simply known as League Two and for sponsorship purposes as Sky Betting & Gaming, Sky Bet League Two, is a professional association football league in England. EFL League Two is the fourth division of the English ...
title in 2018. He joined
Ipswich Town in the summer of 2018, initially on loan before making the deal permanent in January 2019. He spent a spell on loan at former club Accrington Stanley in 2019, as well as a loan at
Fleetwood Town in 2021. He helped Ipswich gain promotion from
EFL League One
The English Football League One, known as Sky Bet League One for sponsorship reasons, or simply League One, is a professional association football league in England. EFL League One is the second-highest division of the English Football League an ...
during the 2022–23 season following a second-placed league finish.
He made his debut for the
Saint Lucia national team in 2023.
Club career
Early career
Born in
Castries,
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean. Part of the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines), Saint Vincent ...
, Donacien moved to the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
with his family in 2001 at the age of eight. He began his footballing career in 2005, joining the academy at
Luton Town
Luton Town Football Club is a professional association football, football club from Luton, Bedfordshire, England. The club currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. Nicknamed "The Hatters", L ...
. He spent 5 years at Luton before spending a brief spell in the youth set up at
Tottenham Hotspur, representing the club in the
2010 Milk Cup, prior to joining the
Aston Villa Academy in 2010.
Aston Villa
Donacien joined the
academy at Aston Villa in 2010, working his way through the academy to represent 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 during the pre-season ahead of the
2013–14 Premier League season, making his non-competitive debut in a pre-season friendly match 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
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
against
Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
and once in the
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
against
Sheffield United.
Tranmere Rovers (loan)
Donacien was loaned to
Tranmere Rovers in August 2014 and made his professional debut in a 2–1 home win against
Morecambe
Morecambe ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the City of Lancaster district of Lancashire, England, on Morecambe Bay, part of the Irish Sea. In 2011 the parish had a population of 34,768.
Name
The first use of the name was by John Whit ...
at
Prenton Park
Prenton Park is a Association football, football stadium in the area of Prenton, Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. It is the home ground of Tranmere Rovers F.C., Tranmere Rovers Football Club since opening in 1912, and formerly the home ground ...
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 to the
National League
National League often refers to:
*National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada
*National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
. Donacien made a total of 37 appearances during his first season in professional football.
Wycombe Wanderers (loan)
On 21 August 2015 he signed a one-month loan deal with Wycombe Wanderers, He made his debut for Wycombe a day later in a 1–1 draw with
Dagenham & Redbridge. He made 2 league appearances for Wycombe before returning to
Villa Park
Villa Park is a association football, football stadium in Aston, Birmingham, with a seating capacity of 42,918. It has been the home of Premier League club Aston Villa F.C., Aston Villa since 1897. The ground is less than a mile from both Witt ...
on 19 September.
Newport County (loan)
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. Donacien made 31 appearances across all competitions during his loan spell at Newport.
Accrington Stanley
On 5 August 2016 Donacien signed for
Accrington Stanley on a free transfer. He made his debut for Accrington on the opening day of the 2016–17 season in a 3–2 win against
Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The team currently competes in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system after winning the 202 ...
. Donacien scored his first goal for Accrington, and first senior goal of his career, on 29 October 2016 in the 1–3 League Two defeat against Newport County. During his first season at Accrington, Donacien made a total of 41 appearances.
Donacien played a key role for Accrington as they won the EFL League Two title and promotion to
EFL League One
The English Football League One, known as Sky Bet League One for sponsorship reasons, or simply League One, is a professional association football league in England. EFL League One is the second-highest division of the English Football League an ...
for the first time in the club's history in the 2017–18 season. He featured in 45 of Accrington's 46 league matches during the season and made 51 appearances in total across all competitions.
Donacien made a total of 92 appearances in all competitions during two seasons at the
Crown Ground
The Crown Ground is a multi-use stadium in Accrington, Lancashire, England. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Accrington Stanley. Opened in 1968, the stadium has a capacity of 5,450.
Stands/terraces
*J ...
, scoring one goal.
Ipswich Town
On 31 July 2018 Donacien signed for
EFL Championship
The English Football League Championship, known simply as the Championship and for sponsorship purposes as Sky Bet Championship, is a professional association football league in England and Wales. Contested by 24 clubs, it is the highest divi ...
side
Ipswich Town, initially on loan with a view to becoming a permanent deal once he received his new UK work permit. He made his debut for the club on the opening day of the 2018–19 season in a 2–2 draw with
Blackburn Rovers. All of his appearances during the early stages of the season came under
Paul Hurst, however after Hurst was sacked in October and replaced by
Paul Lambert, who had previously been the manager at Aston Villa during Donacien’s time at the club, he did not make a single appearance for Ipswich for the remainder of the season. His transfer to Ipswich was made permanent in January 2019, signing a three-year contract for a reported fee of £750,000.
He made 11 appearances during his first season at
Portman Road
Portman Road is a association football, football stadium in Ipswich, Suffolk, England, which has been the home ground of Ipswich Town F.C., Ipswich Town since 1884. The stadium has also hosted many England youth international matches, and one E ...
, before returning to former club Accrington Stanley on loan in January, with Ipswich ultimately suffering relegation to EFL League One during the season.
Accrington Stanley (loan)
On 18 January 2019, Donacien returned to Accrington Stanley on loan until the end of the season. He made his return debut to Accrington in a 0–1 FA Cup defeat to
Derby County on 26 January. He made 20 appearances for Accrington during the second half of the 2018–19 season, helping the
Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...
club secure League One safety.
Return to Ipswich
He started the 2019–20 season as the first choice right-back at Ipswich, starting in the 1–0 opening day win over
Burton Albion. He started the following three league games of the season, however the signing of
Kane Vincent-Young in August saw his game time reduced in the league.
He featured regularly in the
EFL Trophy
The English Football League Trophy, officially known as the Vertu Motors, Vertu Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football, football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL League Two and ...
, starting every group stage match as Ipswich finished second in the group, qualifying for the second round as a result. He also made regular appearances in the FA Cup. Following an injury to Vincent-Young in October, he competed for a starting place in the first-team with stand-in right-back
Gwion Edwards. He made a total of 19 appearances across all competitions before the 2019–20 season was suspended due to the
Coronavirus
Coronaviruses are a group of related RNA viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans and birds, they cause respiratory tract infections that can range from mild to lethal. Mild illnesses in humans include some cases of the comm ...
outbreak in March.
Donacien saw his game time limited to a handful of appearances in cup competitions during the first-half of the 2020–21 season, making only 3 appearances across the FA Cup,
EFL Cup
The English Football League Cup, often referred to as the League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout competition in men's domestic football in England.
Orga ...
and EFL Trophy before being sent out on loan to Fleetwood Town in the January transfer window.
Fleetwood Town (loan)
On 22 January 2021, Donacien joined
Fleetwood Town on loan for the remainder of the 2020–21 season. He made his Fleetwood Town debut the following day, starting the match in a 0–0 draw with
Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system.
Founded in 1932, they have p ...
. In total, Donacien made 19 appearances during his loan spell with Fleetwood.
Second return to Ipswich
On 10 May 2021, Ipswich announced that they had taken up the option to extend Donacien's contract by an additional year, keeping him under contract until 2022.
The 2021–22 season and the arrival of
Paul Cook as Ipswich's new manager saw Donacien feature as a regular starter for the first time since joining Ipswich. He was a key part of the first-team during the season, featuring primarily as a right-back under Paul Cook during the first-half of the season. He quickly formed a strong partnership with new signing
Wes Burns on the right-hand side of the team. In November 2021, Donacien signed a new contract with Ipswich until 2023, with the option of an additional one-year extension. He continued to feature regularly during the season after Cook was sacked in December and replaced by
Kieran McKenna. He played primarily as a right sided centre-back under McKenna as Ipswich's defensive record improved considerably, playing as part of a defense which set a new club record for the length of time without the team conceding a goal, surpassing the previous record of 547 minutes. During the season he started 40 league matches and also came on as a substitute in a further 3 league matches. In total, Donacien made 48 appearances throughout the 2021–22 season, the most of any Ipswich player, whilst also making more league starts than any other player.
He continued to be a key part of Kieran McKenna's team during the 2022–23 season, featuring more at right-back as the season progressed and Ipswich changed system. In January, Ipswich signed
Harry Clarke
Henry Patrick Clarke (17 March 1889 – 6 January 1931) was an Irish stained-glass artist and book illustrator. Born in Dublin, he was a leading figure in the Irish Arts and Crafts Movement.
His work was influenced by both the Art Nouveau ...
from
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
, reducing Donacien's game time as a regular starter, although he still served as an important part of the squad. He once again helped Ipswich set a new club record for consecutive time without conceding, setting a run of 9 consecutive clean sheets and 949 minutes without conceding a goal, surpassing the record set by the team the previous season. In April 2023, Ipswich exercised the option in Donacien's contract to extend his deal by an additional year, keeping him contracted to the club until summer 2024. He made a total of 42 appearances in all competitions during the season, 38 of which came in the league as he helped Ipswich win promotion back to the Championship following a second-placed league finish.
On 3 June 2024, Ipswich said that although the player's contract had expired, he would continue his rehabilitation throughout the off-season "and will return to pre-season training alongside the first-team squad as he builds towards a successful 2024/25 campaign".
Chesterfield
On 12 January 2025, Donacien joined League Two side
Chesterfield on a short-term contract until the end of the season.
International career
Donacien received his first call-up to the
Saint Lucia national team in June 2023. He made his debut for Saint Lucia on 16 June 2023 in a 1–3 defeat against
Martinique
Martinique ( ; or ; Kalinago language, Kalinago: or ) is an island in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It was previously known as Iguanacaera which translates to iguana island in Carib language, Kariʼn ...
in a
2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup qualification first preliminary round match at the
DRV PNK Stadium
Chase Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States. Built on the site of the former Lockhart Stadium, the 21,550-seat stadium is the home pitch of Inter Miami CF of Major League Soccer (MLS) and its MLS Next ...
in
Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale ( ) is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and most populous city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it ...
,
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
.
Style of play
Donacien is a versatile defender, capable of playing anywhere in defense, primarily either at
full-back or
centre-back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Defenders fall into four main categories: centre-backs, full-backs, sweepers ...
. He is known for his tackling ability, athleticism and one-v-one defending. In August 2022, Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna said of Donacien; "He certainly has the athleticism to get up and down the pitch and technically he’s growing and finding more belief in himself now."
Personal life
Donacien's immigration status made national headlines in 2012 as he and his family were denied permanent residency by the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
Home Office
The Home Office (HO), also known (especially in official papers and when referred to in Parliament) as the Home Department, is the United Kingdom's interior ministry. It is responsible for public safety and policing, border security, immigr ...
. Donacien and his family were granted three years of discretionary leave to remain in the United Kingdom in 2012. In October 2018 it was revealed that Donacien was waiting to receive a biometric residence permit from the UK Home Office, which would grant him permanent residency to the United Kingdom, despite having lived in the UK since 2001. In January 2019 it was announced that his Leave to remain had been confirmed, granting him permanent residency in the UK.
Career statistics
Club
International
Honours
Aston Villa U19
*
NextGen Series:
2012–13
Accrington Stanley
*
EFL League Two
The English Football League Two, simply known as League Two and for sponsorship purposes as Sky Betting & Gaming, Sky Bet League Two, is a professional association football league in England. EFL League Two is the fourth division of the English ...
:
2017–18
Ipswich Town
*
EFL League One
The English Football League One, known as Sky Bet League One for sponsorship reasons, or simply League One, is a professional association football league in England. EFL League One is the second-highest division of the English Football League an ...
runner-up:
2022–23
*
EFL Championship
The English Football League Championship, known simply as the Championship and for sponsorship purposes as Sky Bet Championship, is a professional association football league in England and Wales. Contested by 24 clubs, it is the highest divi ...
runner-up:
2023–24
References
External links
Profileat the Ipswich Town F.C. website
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Donacien, Janoi
1993 births
Living people
People from Castries
Saint Lucian men's footballers
Saint Lucia men's international footballers
Saint Lucian expatriate men's footballers
Expatriate men's footballers in England
Men's association football defenders
English Football League players
Aston Villa F.C. players
Tranmere Rovers F.C. players
Wycombe Wanderers F.C. players
Newport County A.F.C. players
Accrington Stanley F.C. players
Ipswich Town F.C. players
Fleetwood Town F.C. players
Chesterfield F.C. players