'Ciarán has a natural ability that almost doesn't need any coaching' - McGuinness

It’s been over four months now since Jim McGuinness took to the field for his first game back as Donegal manager, and while there’s no doubt that there have been positives and negatives so far in his reign, the Glenties man prefers to focus on the former. 

He has said from the outset that his aim over the early months of 2024 was to achieve promotion back to Division 1, and while he can pat himself on the back with such an achievement, considering the number of absent players through injuries, it has forced his hand on occasions to look further afield towards players willing to step up to the mark. 

Enter Ciarán Moore, who only made his first Donegal appearance back in December in a friendly against Roscommon.  

But with regular full back, Brendan McCole forced to the sidelines midway through the league season due to injury, it took the St Eunan’s man to step up to the mark, something that everyone is positive McGuinness hasn’t regretted. 

“Obviously, we were trying to blood new players into the squad and give them a chance, while keeping our eye on promotion, but sometimes it can be forced upon a manager due to injuries and if players are available, that was our issue at the time,” the Donegal boss admitted.  

“The silver lining to all those injuries is that other players have got opportunities, and chances, and gametime, which will stand to us when all those players come back, and it creates competition then.” 

From day one, McGuinness made it no secret that with the rapid season and games in quick succession, developing depth in the squad was vital to his side’s success. He emphasised that every member of the panel is as important as the other and will get a chance, and so far in terms of playing, McGuinness has kept to his word.  

But getting a full panel together at the same time has so far been impossible with the absence of such players like Patrick McBrearty, Eoghan Bán Gallagher Daire Ó Baoill, Conor O’Donnell, and Caolan McColgan. 

“There are a number of players who have got a lot of gametime in the National League, that’s so positive because, yes, we’re trying to win all our games but we’re trying to find a way to develop the team and put down a gameplan and understand the players, probably two tasks which we haven’t fully reached yet.  

“We haven’t had a number of players yet at all to see what they can do, but there’s been a lot of positives but ultimately, we’re still a bit away from understanding the group fully.” 

McGuinness admitted that he noticed Moore last season when playing for St Eunan’s in the championship and from the off, the Glenties man could stop his intelligence and ability to be a top inter-county footballer. 

“In terms of giving lads a chance, you mention Ciarán Moore, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s played every position on the pitch at this stage, and he’s still so young,” McGuinness said. 

“I saw him over in Glenties in a club championship match last season, at that stage I just saw the athlete in him, but I also saw that he has a natural tendency to see danger. If something is happening, he wants to get involved and help out, that’s something that is difficult to coach, I feel you either have that trait or you don’t. 

“Once you see a player like Ciarán getting those recovery runs in and getting back and getting a hand in, all without being told to do it or being coached how to do it, then you can see he has a natural firefighting tendency and that makes it much easier for the manager. 

“Now you never know what the player is fully capable of until you put him into training and try him out in different positions and see if he’s still doing it, but so far, he’s been brilliant, he’s stepped up and marked some of the top forwards in the country who are well established and have good scoring prowess, and he’s done great on them. 

“What we have now is a young lad and a very humble young lad in that, who we know can do a job for us in a number of different positions and that can only be a big plus.”