According to the Northern Ireland Football Yearbook 1996/97, Brian Donaghey is a right-sided midfielder from Londonderry who joined the Canaries in December 1986 at the age of 15. He did not break into the first team and returned to Ireland in February 1988 to play for Derry City. He later joined Coleraine (July 1989), Carrick Rangers (November 1994) and Omagh Town. Brian joined Cliftonville in December 1999 and made 17 appearances for them in 1998/99 scoring once. He moved on to Ards in the summer of 2000