RETURN OF THE MESSIAH?

There will be Tirs of joy if Big Jim takes reins in Donegal again

- KIERAN CUNNNGHAM

IT WAS back in March, 2009, that Donegal manager John-Joe Doherty made a very public appeal.

A third of his squad were unemployed and he called for help within the county to get them jobs.

Back then, Donegal footballers were second class citizens - even within their own county.

But, when Jim McGuinness succeeded Doherty as manager after the 2010 Championship, the landscape changed utterly.

Between 1995 and 2010, Donegal won just 12 Ulster Championship games.

Under McGuinness between 2011 and 2014- they won 13, playing four finals on the trot and winning three.

For good measure, he led them to the All-Ireland in 2012 and the final in 2014, beating Dublin along the way. It was to be the Dubs' only Championship defeat under Jim Gavin.

The 2014 All-Ireland final defeat to Kerry was his last game in charge, as he was keen to chase his goals in another sport - soccer.

That journey took him to Scotland, China, the US and back to Ireland. He now has a UEFA Pro Licence.

But McGuinness came to soccer late. The odds were stacked against him.