Jim McGuinness has brought excitement back to Donegal, says Peader Mogan

Donegal's Peader Mogan says the confidence Jim McGuinness has given the squad since he has returned as manager has been key to their turn in fortunes.

After some difficult seasons, the All-Ireland winning manager returned as Donegal manager ahead of this season, having won Sam Maguire in 2012.

His impact has been felt immediately, with a Division Two and Ulster final on his return, and an All-Ireland quarter-final against Louth awaiting this weekend.

Speaking as he was named PwC Player of the Month for May, Mogan has been hugely encouraged by the support in Donegal since McGuinness took over.

"It has been brilliant, he has given everyone a huge lift. He has got people talking about Donegal football again, which is massive.

"It is his belief that he instils, he has a brilliant way of coming across. He has just brought excitement back to the county which is huge. It is something Donegal probably has been missing over the last few years, so we are delighted to have him back.

"He has put us all in a position where we can drive forward, and he allows us to express ourselves. We are probably playing a wee bit faster and a bit more energy than we would have had in other years."

For Mogan, he would have been a young Donegal fan singing Jimmy's winning matches when McGuinness was last in charge.

Fast-forward to this year, and he has been one of the players to thrive this season under his management, driving forward from half-back and scoring some vital points along the way.

For Mogan, the passion of McGuinness was something that stood out when he first met him.

"He cares about Donegal so much. He was a player, a fan and a manager. He has done all the things with Donegal, so you can see how much that means to him.

"That was the