Peadar Mogan: Jim McGuinness giving Donegal belief again in 2024

Jim McGuinness has brought a bif of the swagger back to Donegal football, according to Peadar Mogan, as they prepare for Sunday's All-Ireland quarter-final against Louth.

The Tír Chonaill men will hope to put the modern nadir of 2023 firmly behind them at Croke Park as they look to make the last four for the first time in a decade.

McGuinness was in charge for their last quarter-final win when they beat Armagh in 2014 and his return has heralded a change in fortunes already for the county team. While they failed to win a game in Ulster last year, and saw their season ended by Tyrone in the preliminary quarter-finals, 2024 has been a different story.

Promotion from Division 2 of the Allianz League was swiftly followed by victory over Division 1 champions - and back-to-back Ulster winners - Derry. They followed it by putting Tyrone away, before reclaiming the Anglo-Celt Cup with a penalty shootout triumph over Armagh for a first provincial victory in half a decade.

Their only defeat of the year came against a goal-scoring Cork side at Páirc Uí Rínn but wins over the Red Hand and Clare either side of it assured them of top spot in Group 3 and with it, the most direct passage through to the last eight of the All-Ireland SFC.

And for Mogan, the big difference this season has been how McGuinness has managed to get the players' heads right.

"He's given everyone a huge lift," Mogan said after picking up the PwC GAA/GPA Footballer of the Month award for May.

"He's got people talking about Donegal football again. It's the belief he instills and he has a brilliant way of coming across.

"He's brought excitement back to the county which is something we've been missing over the last few years.

"It's the conviction he spoke with [the first time