RORY GALLAGHER HAS CONFIRMED the addition of 12 new players to the Donegal senior football squad for the 2016 season.
There have been no retirements from the panel, although Declan Walsh has opted out as he completes his studies for an MBA, while Gallagher has released a further six players from the squad.
While the Donegal boss has brought in plenty of new blood, it is the fact that there will be no retirements from his panel that is the big news from the camp.
Gallagher had held a series of meetings with the more experienced members of his group since the 2015 campaign ended with an All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Mayo in August.
“It’s great and it’s something that I very much wanted,” he told Donegal Sport Hub after meeting his panel this afternoon.
“It’s as simple as this – if I didn’t feel they were good enough I wouldn’t be too keen to keep them.”
Although Paul Durcan has recently moved to Dubai, meaning his participation in the county jersey going forward is in doubt, none of the 2015 panel have stepped off the inter-county carousel.
However, Darach O’Connor and Michael Boyle face considerable lay-offs with both having underwent surgery on cruciate knee ligament injuries recently.
Boyle, who has been the replacement goalkeeper over the last number of years, went under the knife last weekend, meaning that Mark Anthony McGinley and squad newcomer Danny Rodgers will battle for the number one shirt from January.
Gallagher has opted not to recall Sean Hensey, Gary McFadden, Willie Gillespie, Cory Gallagher or Conor Parke for next year.
Eight of the new players were involved in the 2014 Donegal minor squad that reached the All-Ireland minor final, while Ciaran Thompson, Caolan Ward and Jack O’Brien were been members of the Donegal Under-21 panel, and Rory Carr was on the minor squad this year.
Gallagher, who has brought Brendan Kilcoyne onto his backroom team to replace the departed Gary McDaid, said: “They have all played on big days, albeit not at senior level. Yes, they’re young, but they’re very much capable of stepping up.”
Experienced members like Colm McFadden, Christy Toye, Neil Gallagher, David Walsh, Eamon McGee, Neil McGee and Karl Lacey have all opted to return to the fold for 2016.
The new players on the squad are: Danny Rodgers (Dungloe), Stephen McMenamin (Red Hughs), Kieran Gillespie (Gaoth Dobhair), Michael Carroll (Gaoth Dobhair), Eoghan Ban Gallagher (Killybegs), Ciaran Thompson (Naomh Conaill), Stephen McBrearty (Kilcar), Caolan McGonigle (Buncrana), Jack O’Brien (Naomh Muire), Tony McClenaghan (Moville), Rory Carr (St Eunan’s) and Caolan Ward (St Eunan’s).
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