Callum Dolan targeting promotion on his return to Torquay United
CALLUM Dolan knows just what he wants from the 2025/26 season after his return to Torquay United was confirmed this week: Promotion.
The 24-year-old midfielder joins the Gulls on a free transfer from League One side Fleetwood Town, who released him in the summer after making 16 appearances for the club.
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Dolan played six games during an impressive loan spell at Plainmoor during the 2023/24 season, scoring twice. But now he is back permanently having signed a one-year deal, determined to help the Gulls get out of National South.
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'It's good to be back. It's a massive football club with a lot of clear ambition and I want to get a promotion on my CV and that is going to be my main focus,' he said.
'I have always kept an eye on the club and wanted the club to do well since being here. The fans are quite special – I could see that within my first game of being here.
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'I have been with clubs in eight out of the top ten divisions in England, but in the past couple of years, I have had an injury that has kept me from playing as much as I would like to.
'Now I have had the surgery for that, I feel 100 per-cent ready to go and I am just glad that Torquay get me on the back end of that and this is the season I am looking to do something really special and show everyone consistently what I can do and go on to be one of the best players in this league.
Goal celebrations for Callum Dolan of Torquay United during the National League South match between Eastbourne Borough and Torquay United at Priory Lane, Eastbourne on 28 November 2023. Photo: James Whitehead/PPAUK
Manchester-born Dolan started his career at Manchester United, where he spent seven years in their Academy before joining Blackburn Rovers and then Bury.
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After leaving Gigg Lane, Dolan played non-league football for Stockport Town before a brief stint at Altrincham. Dolan returned to the professional ranks by joining Oldham Athletic, but things turned sour for Dolan when he was sentenced to eight months in a young offender institution after being involved in a police chase on the M60. He was 18 at the time.
Following his release, Dolan spent time at Radcliffe and Matlock Town before committing to Warrington Rylands and his superb form for them led to him joining Fleetwood for an undisclosed fee, where he penned a two-and-a-half year deal.
Dolan moved to Torquay on loan, who were managed by Gary Johnson at the time and Johnson's son Lee was in charge of Fleetwood. But after six hugely impressive performances at the back end of 2023, Dolan returned to Highbury, making 13 appearances before returning to Oldham on loan at the start of last season.
Dolan made six appearances for Oldham before a long-standing injury led to him having surgery, which kept him sidelined for six months. He returned to make six further appearances at the back end of the season before his release by Fleetwood was confirmed.
Callum Dolan of Torquay United during the National League South match between Torquay United and Bath City at Plainmoor, Torquay on Saturday 4th November 2023 - PHOTO: Frankie OKeeffe/PPAUK
Still only 24, Dolan's best years are still ahead of him and after the trials and tribulations of his past, he hopes to stay fit and be part of something special at Plainmoor in 2025/26.
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'That's the plan, that's the goal, but also to do that whilst trying to get this club promoted,' he said. 'There are players in the squad I have played against in the National League - and the league above - so I think the foundations are there to go and have a really strong season and I am just going to try and add to that and hopefully be that key that gets us over the line.
'To go and get promoted, it has to be a special environment around the club. No one team-mate or person or member of staff is more important, we all have to be working together.
'Me personally, I know I will give everything and I am sure that is what the lads will do because we have a manager like Paul (Wotton) who is massive on mentality. I'd do anything for my team-mates, but we all have to be pushing in the same direction to go and get this club promoted.'
Wotton added: 'Callum's someone that I've known about, actually, since his first loan spell at Torquay. Even though I was managing another team, it's my job to see who's doing well on loan and I've followed his career since.
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'He brings goals from midfield, which we lacked last year. He brings tenacity as well, which we lacked last year. So, I've made no secret that I wanted to strengthen the midfield area, or rejig it.
'Callum obviously comes into that equation. He can play as a ten – he's more of an eight as well – he can get box to box. He's got an eye for a goal and I'm looking forward to working with him.'
Dolan's arrival follows those of Munashe Sundire and Louis Dennis folloing their release from Tamworth and League Two Bromley respectively as Wotton builds a squad capable of getting out of National South.
'We've had to beat off an awful lot of competition to get all three of these players. They've been offered financially better deals elsewhere, so it speaks volumes that they want to come down and play for Torquay and they want to succeed,' he said.
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'They've bought straight into the work ethic and they're showing the right desire to move down here and play for the club.
'They fit the character of what a Torquay United player needs to be first and foremost. All three of them are ready to go.'
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