JIM MCGUINNESS HAS added three new members to his Donegal backroom team for the 2014 season.
Damien Diver from Ardara, John Duffy from the Aodh Ruadh club in Ballyshannon and Buncrana’s Paul McGonigle have all come on board.
It emerged last week that McGuinness’s right-hand man Rory Gallagher along with other members of his backroom team – Maxi Curran and Francie Friel – would not be involved next season.
A Donegal county board statement subsequently revealed that it was the decision of McGuinness to shake up his management team.
The Donegal boss has confirmed the authenticity of that statement but refused to elaborate further on the controversial departure.
“I don’t want to make a comment on it to be honest. The only thing I’d say is that everything that is in the statement is what happened.”
Despite the upheaval, McGuinness is firmly focused on putting plans in place for next year.
“It is something that has to be done and that is all that there is to it. Once it is done, it is just about meeting the players and starting the ball rolling.
“They are very hungry to get at it again and that is the big one for me. New voices are good as well. Everybody is trying to push on and raise the bar, myself as well and you are asking the same of the players.”
Jim McGuinness with the sports category winners of the Arthur Guinness Projects Initiative
Pic: Sportsfile
