Jim McGuinness boosts Donegal panel with five new additions for 2025

Donegal manager Jim McGuinness has significantly strengthened his squad for the 2025 season with the return of five players to the inter-county senior team.  

It’s been just over a month ago since the news broke that former captain Michael Murphy is returning to the panel, coming out of retirement after being absent from the team since 2022.  

McGuinness admitted that the Glenswilly man is not the only player to return to the green and gold and will be joined alongside Eoghan McGettigan and Finnbarr Roarty from Naomh Conaill, Kilcar’s Eoin McHugh, and Gaoth Dobhair’s Odhran McFadden-Ferry.  

These players, all with prior county experience and four of whom have Ulster title success with the county panel in the past add depth and leadership to the team as they prepare for Division 1 football next year and hope to go one step further from last season where McGuinness’s side lost out to Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final in Croke Park. 

The news of the players return is particularly exciting for Donegal supporters, as the team looks to solidify their position among the country's top sides under McGuinness's guidance. 

Currently, the squad is participating in a week-long warm-weather training camp in Abu Dhabi, staying on Al Reem Island with the camp funded by a mix of county board resources and supporter contributions.  

Last year, a similar camp in Tenerife played a pivotal role in Donegal's success, as they captured the Ulster title and secured promotion from Division 2.