'It was tough watching it' - Jim McGuinness says Donegal's recent struggles prompted return

Donegal manager Jim McGuinness put the brief ruckus over their fielding of an ineligible player down to "an administrative error" and said the pain of watching the county's struggles in 2023 had been a key driver in his return to the role.

McGuinness's side progressed to the McKenna Cup with a very lop-sided win over Monaghan in Castleblayney this afternoon.

The mastermind behind the 2012 All-Ireland victory was back on the sideline after winning his appeal against an eight-week ban over the fielding over Finbarr Roarty in their heavy win over Armagh in the group phase, which led to the result being chalked off.

Roarty, a Noamh Conaill clubmate of McGuinness, turned 18 the day after the Armagh match, but was deemed to be underage because he had not turned 18 the year prior.

Clarifying the situation after the Monaghan win this afternoon, McGuinness said that management believed that Roarty was eligible.

"One of those situations that you don't want to be in. Really, an administrative error. Something that should have been picked up and wasn't picked up," McGuinness told RTÉ's Adrian Eames on Radio 1's Saturday Sport.

"We had a situation previously where we always took the best minor. And that was the case with Finbarr as well. Ryan McHugh would have filled that category, Patrick (McBrearty), Marty Reilly, Odhrán Mac Niallais, all those lads. That's where I was coming from with Finbarr.

"We believed that he was eligible to play. We had a game against Roscommon before Christmas and he wasn't part of the squad that day because we believed that once the turn of the year came that he was eligible.

"So it was just one of those things but thankfully we're back on track, as they say."

McGuinness's return to Donegal has been floated on