ALTHOUGH he has recently been back blowing a whistle at Gaelic football training sessions, Jim McGuinness remains committed to pursuing a career in soccer management.
Donegal’s All-Ireland winning manager from 2012 has moved back home again after spells working in China and America.
Most recently, he worked as the manager of Charlotte Independence, a club playing in the USL Championship, but his tenure ended in June 2019 after winning just one of the opening 14 games.
McGuinness remained in the States but relocated home to Donegal in late summer
“Just waiting on the right opportunity, more than anything else,” McGuinness, who will be back this weekend working as an analyst on Sky Sports’ coverage of the Football Championship, says of his next move.
“My focus is definitely on soccer. “When you are back in Ireland and you are asked to go in, it whets the appetite for you.
“There’s no doubt about that but my focus is on soccer and the journey that I’ve been on development-wise and trying to fulfil that.”
McGuinness recently took part of a training session with the Galway footballers, who are managed by his former college mate Pádraic Joyce.
He also had involvement with Naomh Máirtín, who won a first ever Louth SFC.
However, he makes it clear that his future isn’t back in Gaelic football.
He doesn’t discount roles in the League of Ireland or the Irish League, which may appeal now that he is back living in Donegal.
He says: “I’m open to anything that makes sense for me professionally and in terms of my own development. That’s the bottom line. That would be it in a nutshell.
“I’ve had a very good journey up to this point and have been learning a huge amount along the way. Obviously when you are in management on a professional level, you learn a lot.
“That experience I’m sure will stand to me and the opportunity to grow and develop myself professionally.”
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