Nippy striker Aaron O'Connor has worked his way up the football pyramid, having started his career at Ilkeston Town. He then had a short spell with Scunthorpe before moving to Nuneaton Borough.

He returned to Ilkeston and then made his mark whilst playing for Gresley Rovers, where his goalscoring record was prolific, scoring more than one goal every two games. His outstanding form was recognised by all: he won Player's Player of The Year, Manager's Player of The Year and Supporter's Player of The Year awards for two seasons.

He worked in a bank during the working week and trained with Gresley in the evenings. O'Connor then spent 18 months with Grays Athletic before joining the Stags in the summer. It was a return to the Midlands, as the Nottingham lad spent his youth at Derby County Academy.

In his spare time, Aaron enjoys swimming, shooting pool as well as playing PC game Football Manager. He has been praised for his ability in the classroom, saying he would be at university if he wasn't a pro at Mansfield. The striker also likes listening to Michael Jackson.