Ryan Donaldson is a young attacking player who developed in the youth set up at Newcastle United making his reserve team debut as a 15-year-old schoolboy.

Ryan stepped up to the academy full-time in July 2007 and established himself in the U18s where he had a good scoring record. He was on the bench for the first team in August 2008 before making his senior debut in a Championship game with Leicester City early in the 2009-10 season.

Ryan's only first-team action for the Magpies in 2010-11 came when he was one of a number of youngsters included for the Carling Cup tie at Accrington Stanley. In January he was loaned to Hartlepool United making 12 appearances for the League One club before returning to St James' Park in March.

He was subsequently included as an unused substitute for the Premier League clash with Birmingham in the closing weeks of the season. Although he was used as a striker at Hartlepool he has recently mainly been playing in a midfield role for the Magpies.

Ryan has been capped by England at U17 and U19 levels.

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