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.
Cavan’s Killian Clarke and Peader Mogan of Donegal. Photo: INPHO/Ryan Byrne
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 biggest thing that rubbed off on me, how much he actually cares about the county, and how much he cares about doing the best for the county.
“I think back to when I was running on the pitch in 2011 like a mad man. It is great to be on the other side and you are trying to act as a role model and be that positive person for some people. If some young boy or young girl can take something that I do, then you are not doing a bad job.”
Standing in Donegal’s way of an All-Ireland semi-final is another side who have shocked everyone, Louth, who are managed by former Dublin footballer Ger Brennan.
After pushing Dublin close in the Leinster final, Louth defeated Cork in the preliminary quarter-finals to reach the last eight.
Mogan has been impressed by Louth this season, and is expecting a tough battle in Croke Park.
“They are very athletic, they have got tonnes and tonnes of pace. They have got huge height in the middle of the field. They have probably got one of the inside forwards in the country.
“They are goal hungry. First of all we have to match their energy, they feed off that running game that they have.
“The support for them is going to be absolutely phenomenal, especially after the result they had last week, so they are going to be coming all guns blazing, so we have to be ready to match that.”
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