Jim McGuinness is currently in his second stint as Donegal manager, and so far he is proving to be just as successful the second time around as he was the first.
Although he is the same man, managing the same county, and in the same competitions, there is naturally going to be big changes in a 10-year span.
Since leaving Gaelic football in 2014 to work full time in the world of professional soccer, McGuinness doesn't seem to have missed a beat on his return, guiding his county to an Ulster title and reaching the semi-final stages of the All-Ireland.
While speaking to Cahair O'Kane in an exclusive interview with The Irish News that you can read here, the Glenties native highlights one major difference, and it is how the players themselves live in the world of data and information.
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"There’s a massive difference in the players. Massive difference. Different generation, different thought processes, different intensity in their life.
"Reared on technology, the intensity of that, social media, mental health – all those things are real. You don’t even want to acknowledge them sometimes because you’re coming from that different generation.
"The last group were a totally different group. This group want information, they want data, want information on themselves. That’s how they engage and interact.
McGuinness himself doesn't use social media, and believes that it can be a dangerous world to grow up in, and has experienced that while coaching players in soccer.
"Trying to navigate your way through that is not easy, parents and agents have a huge impact. Social media’s there and you could be ruined by a couple of comments.
"That’s why I just don’t go there, don’t like it, don’t agree with it. It’s way too personal a lot of the time. Everybody’s an expert – well you’re not, like.
"You just aren’t. Experts are experts for a reason. Everybody’s entitled to their opinion but you’re not an expert."
There is no doubt that having so much information out there is a powerful tool for the modern player, but it can also be self-destructive for individuals.
Managing players who have a presence online is a tricky thing to do, but is unavoidable in the modern world of sports stars, including the GAA.
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