Declan Bonner not ruling out inter-county return in the future
Bonner was recently linked to the Leitrim job and with Derry still on the lookout ahead of 2025 the former Donegal manager is also being whispered as a potential option for the Oak Leafers
Former Donegal manager Declan Bonner is not ruling out a return to inter-county management in the future.
The 1992 All-Ireland winner, who stepped down as Donegal manager at the end of the summer in 2022, has enjoyed two successful seasons in club management, winning championships in Donegal and neighbouring Fermanagh.
In 2023, he guided his home club Na Rossa to the club’s second Donegal junior championship success and last Saturday night he managed Erne Gaels to a third Fermanagh senior championship, bridging a 43 year gap, with a replay win over a highly fancied Enniskillen Gaels in Brewster Park.
Speaking to the Democrat on Tuesday evening, in the aftermath of Saturday’s evening success, when asked if he had any desire to return to intercounty management, the former star forward was giving very little away.
“Who knows what the future holds,” was his response.
“When I took on the Na Rossa job last year after stepping down from the Donegal job, I did so because I was chairman of the club and I could find nobody else to manage the team.
“And when I was approached back in January about the Erne Gaels job, managing a club team in Fermanagh or anywhere else, for that matter, was not on my mind.
“Now ten months later I’m the manager of an Erne Gaels side that have won the Fermanagh championship for the third time in the club’s history.
“So who knows what the future holds. The Erne Gaels job, when I considered it, I felt it was a right fit for me.
“It was under an hour's drive from my home and they had been knocking on the door in Fermanagh and they had a dedicated and talented group of players who were hungry for success.
“It just seemed right and if a similar situation was to arise in the future who knows.”
His name had been linked with the Leitrim manager’s job after Mickey Graham stepped down.
The Na Rossa man has also been linked in recent days with the vacant Derry manager’s position,
“I did receive an approach about the Leitrim job. But I was committed to Erne Gaels to the end of the championship campaign whenever that might be.
“I felt it would have been very disrespectful to the Erne Gaels players given the effort they were putting in in pursuit of their goal to have word of me chatting to Leitrim going on in the background.”
Leitrim went ahead and appointed Stephen Poacher from Down, who has former Donegal minor and Aodh Ruadh player Anthony McGrath in his management team.
The Erne Gaels boss would neither confirm nor deny that he had received approaches about the vacant Derry job.
When asked if he would be interested in the Derry job he replied: “My total focus this week is on Erne Gaels Ulster quarter- final meeting with Scotstown, Monaghan, in Brewster Park on Sunday.
“And if we beat Scotstown the focus will turn to the Ulster semi-final. My commitment remains with Erne Gaels until the championship run comes to an end. And sure who knows what will happen after that.”