Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago

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Speedy Greek winger, George Donis, was signed by Blackburn Rovers on a free transfer in June 1996 under the Bosman ruling.

Donis, nicknamed "The Train" by his previous club's fans due to his blistering pace, was a signing chosen by Ray Harford who wanted to bring in viable competition to challenge Stuart Ripley on the right flank. It became evident immediately at the start of the 1996/97 season that Donis was here to be a regular starter.

He made his Rovers debut on the opening day of the season and completed the 90 minutes in a game that Rovers lost 2-0 against Spurs at Ewood Park. Donis then went on to start in a further nine games, completing the full 90 minutes in six of those starts. His acceleration and ability to play as an attacker at times meant that both he and Ripley featured in the same 11 on a few occasions.

Donis had enjoyed a good run of games from August up until the end of October 1996, however a dip in form and other squad members playing well saw Donis only make 10 more appearances in the League for Rovers from November 1996 up to the end of season in May. His failure to complete a single 90 minute game during those 10 outings showed that he was losing favour with management.

Despite this, Rovers fans still have some fond memories of Donis in a Rovers shirt, most notably an excellent solo goal he scored against Everton at Ewood Park in September 1996. Donis also capped off a fine team move to score against Coventry at Ewood Park in January 1997. His speed was an attribute that excited the fans and promised a lot, though it did not deliver as much as it could have done in reality.

The summer of 1997 saw a new manager arrive at Rovers in Roy Hodgson. Hodgson made it clear quite early on that Donis would not be a part of his plans and that he was free to move to another club. In September 1997 Rovers and Donis mutually agreed to end the player's contract with the club and Donis left on a free, after which he then signed for AEK Athens in Greece.

George Donis made 25 appearances in total for Rovers in all competions, all coming in the 1996/97 season and he scored two goals. Here are those goals.