Donegal hastily arrange meeting for manager update as Jim McGuinness speculation continues

Donegal GAA have brought forward a county board meeting to Monday with the only item on the agenda an update on the appointment of a new senior football manager.

Jim McGuinness is being considered for a sensational return to the hotseat, but there is no word on whether an appointment is imminent.

He has been in discussion with key stakeholders in the county in recent weeks, with talks advancing over the last few days as they seek to find a replacement for Aidan O'Rourke who stepped down at the end of the 2023 campaign having acted as interim manager following Paddy Carr's departure.

RTÉ Sport understands that McGuinness had been sounded out by members of the selection panel a number of weeks ago to see if he would be receptive to a second stint in charge, and the Glenties man didn’t reject the notion and has since met county board officials.

In an update this afternoon, Donegal asked delegates to attend the hastily arranged meeting on Monday at 7.30pm to discuss "an update on the deliberations of the Senior Football Manager’s Selection Committee".

McGuinness had a highly successful first spell in charge of the county, resulting in three Ulster titles and Donegal’s second-ever All-Ireland after their defeat of Mayo in 2012 showpiece.

He stepped down in October 2014 and has been involved with a number of soccer clubs since, including Scottish giants Celtic and Beijing Guoan of China, while he was appointed head coach of Charlotte Independence in America.

However, he has failed to progress a professional managerial career in the sport.

He hasn’t managed a GAA team since leaving Donegal, but has been involved with numerous sides at county and club level as a coach.

McGuinness revealed that he was open to being part of a Donegal