Pat Spillane Details Why Donegal Will Become 2025 All-Ireland Champions

Legendary GAA pundit Pat Spillane has stuck his neck out when it comes to the race for the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship by backing Donegal for the coveted prize this year.

The return of Jim McGuinness in 2024 has galvanised a county that was in the doldrums before his reemergence, famously winning the Ulster Championship just weeks into his second reign.

McGuinness will have greater ambitions now over a year into his second stint in charge, having so famously tore up the script to guide his county to Sam Maguire success in 2011.

He also convinced legend Michael Murphy to return to the panel in a playing capacity and he announced his return to inter-county action in sensational style when Donegal defeated Armagh in February.

McGuinness has made a habit of beating Armagh since his return having done so in that Ulster SFC final and it is a good omen given that the Orchard County went on to win the big one in Croke Park last summer.

Former Sunday Game analyst Spillane has put his faith in Donegal too, citing why they are the team to beat despite the form of some of their competitors - including Allianz League winners Kerry.

Writing in his column for The Sunday World, which you can read in full here, Spillane pointed to a number of factors which make Donegal to favourites going into the Championship action.

They ticked so many boxes (against Derry): their pace, their fitness, their hard running, their breaking through the lines," he assessed.

"No team in the country can match them in those areas."

He added: "There’s the Jimmy factor too, instilling belief. Finally, their ruthlessness when they get on top. I saw it in the league against Derry, when they were down by seven points in the last six minutes and they won the match. In an eight-minute spell last week, they got six points in a row.

‘That is a sign of a good team, to milk it when on top."

There certainly is a ruthlessness about the county and the likes of Kerry, Mayo and Galway are sure to be aware of that fact when the provincial championships conclude ahead of the All-Ireland.