The 'Gooch' believes Donegal are the team to make big inroads this year

Kerry legend Colm Cooper believes Donegal will make a "real statement" in 2022.

Declan Bonner’s side begin the Allianz League tomorrow with a fixture at Markievicz Park in Sligo against Mayo, having put in a decent Dr McKenna Cup campaign where they reached the final only to lose on a 1-11 to 0-13 scoreline last Saturday.

Mogan: ‘It’s hot and heavy and that’s the way you want it’

The St Naul's clubman is a fan of the quickfire Allianz League, which Donegal open against Mayo in Sligo tomorrow

Cooper, who played for Kerry from 2002 till 2017 and won five All-Ireland championships, has also earmarked Galway as a team who could potentially get to the level of the “top four” of Kerry, Dublin, Tyrone and Mayo.

"The top four has been quite settled for the last number of years with Kerry, Dublin, Tyrone and Mayo, so that should continue, but the two teams that are capable of breaking into that are Donegal and Galway," Cooper told RTÉ's Morning Ireland.

O'Neill's have released a new Donegal goalkeeper jersey - and it looks the part

The Strabane-based kit supplier have stuck with the original black design and it'll be hitting the shelves soon

"Donegal have flattered to deceive a bit over the last couple of years, they’ve got into great positions to qualify for semi-finals, and even if you go back to the Super 8s, they’ve let opportunities slip. But I think they’ll be gunning for 2022.”