Bonner poised to step down as Donegal boss

Donegal football is preparing for change with Declan Bonner expected to step down as the county's senior football manager this evening.

Bonner will meet with Donegal GAA board officials and delegates at 8:15pm tonight. He will give his annual report at that meeting and RTÉ Sport understands that he will then step aside from his position at that stage.

It is understood that Bonner contacted a number of players who are currently outside of the country at the weekend to tell them of his plans. He has been in touch with the remainder of the panel since.

When contacted for clarification this afternoon, the county board said it had nothing to add beyond the fact that there would be a meeting later tonight.

Bonner is expected to meet with members of the media after that meeting.

The Na Rossa clubman took charge of the senior team in 2017. It was his second term in charge of the side, after he first took the helm at the callow age of 32.

In the past decade Bonner has been right at the coalface of Donegal football, both at development and senior level.

Across all grades, juvenile, underage and senior, he landed 10 trophies in 11 years. These included back-to-back Ulster senior titles in 2018 and ’19 and a Division 2 Allianz league title.

He also won a McKenna Cup during his most recent spell in charge. At underage level he led the county to the last Under-21 Ulster title, while at minor level he won two league titles and an Ulster crown.

Having come on board in 2011, Bonner guided the county's Under-16s to a provincial title and repeated that feat at Under-17 level the following year.

Doubts over his continuation emerged when the county lost to an Armagh side in the qualifiers, one they had accounted for weeks beforehand in the Ulster