Young defender who showed a determined attitude in the Reserves, but failed to find a way into the first team squad.

Parents came from Kerry in Ireland and Paul played football for Villacourt Rovers in Eltham near his family home in Catford. Started out with Welling United's Under-16s and was a pick for Blackheath Schools and Inner London Schools before he was taken by the manager to Welling United.  From there, a recommendation to coach Robbie Stepney got him a trial at Tottenham. Brought up in the art of Gaelic football, he also represented London Under-20s at the sport.  An all round sportsman, Paul represented Lewisham and Kent at swimming too.

O'Donoghue had captained the Welling United U16s and was due to be a substitute in a pre-season first team friendly against Millwall when he moved to Tottenham. Signed for the club in pre-season 2000 and signed on first year trainee forms just before the Milk Cup tournament in Northern Ireland.

Strongly built and playing alongside Ronnie Henry, Paul formed a powerful partnership in the middle of defence.  Keen on a tackle and good in the air, his distribution let him down a bit, although he was good coming out from the back four with the ball.  At 17, he moved into the Under-19 team after starring for the U17s, before he was picked for the Reserves.  Suffered a broken nose in the youth team's Easter tour to France in 2001, which ruled him out for the rest of the season.

O'Donoghue went out on loan to Heybridge Swifts to get some experience, but returned to the Reserves.  The defender was released in 2005 and joined AFC Hornchurch, who were having a lot of money pumped into them to rise through the non-league pyramid, but when the money ran out a lot of players left. 

Last heard of playing for John Mitchels a Birmingham based Gaelic football club.