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McGuinness urges Donegal to 'make the chance count'

McGuinness urges Donegal to 'make the chance count'

BBC News23-07-2025
Donegal manager Jim McGuinness said the ghosts of 2014 haunted him for a long time but are now at the back of his mind as his team prepare to face Kerry in Sunday's All-Ireland football final.The Kingdom won by three points in the 2014 decider, which proved to be the Glenties man's last game in charge, but 10 years later he returned to the Donegal sideline after moving into soccer with Celtic before spells in China and the United States.However, home is where the heart is and the opportunity to manage Donegal for a second time proved too good to turn down.Making up for that 2014 loss may have been part of the motivation, but now back in the job, it's all about what's ahead, rather than what has been and gone."Your heart is always in your county so when the opportunity came and the conversations came up about coming back, they take legs in your mind," he told BBC Sport NI."I'm delighted we had those conversations and got back on the horse, so hopefully we can give it our best shot."The 2014 final was stuck in my head a long time, probably up until the point I came back in. You're always thinking about that, but as a manager, a coach or a player, the two weeks' [build-up to the final] is not a time for reflection. The time for reflection is when the final whistle goes."
McGuinness is not the only recent returnee - as his captain from the 2012 All-Ireland success, Michael Murphy, came out of retirement to bolster the squad this year, having initially stepped away in 2022."It's brilliant to have him," said the Donegal boss."He's been immense and any of the younger lads, he's been brilliant with them. It's fantastic to have the footballer, but also the leader. Hopefully there's another big day in Michael."It will require a big performance from Murphy and the rest of his team-mates if they are to finish the job on Sunday as they come up against a Kerry side laden with talent.There is plenty to ponder for the Donegal boss, not least what to do with David Clifford, but it is a challenge he says they all must embrace."The challenge is fairly immense," he acknowledges."When you get the pen and paper out to think about David Clifford, it can be a blank page for a long time. He is an elite player and one of the best we've ever seen, if not the best. His brother [Paudie] and Sean O'Shea are all elite players who, on any given day, can beat you, but David is a bit special. The challenge he and those other lads will be huge, but that's where we want to be."The boys have done really well to create this opportunity and we are just hoping they can show their best colours and make it count."
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