McGuinness is not going back to GAA

PAUL McGINLEY says that Dublin can rest easy as Jim McGuinness will not be returning to intercounty management any time soon. The former Ryder Cup captain spoke to his friend last week after he left his role in Roger Schmidt’s coaching team for Beijing Sinobo Guoan in the Chinese Premier League and says that McGuinness plans to complete all his UEFA badges within the next year. ‘I spoke to him last week. Jim’s okay, he is on a plan,’ McGinley explained. ‘I can’t say more than that. A lot of things are confidential. But he is flying through his exams and will be fully qualified next year. He is not coming back to the GAA, put it that way. The Dubs can rest easy.’ McGuinness isn’t the only GAA manager who has picked McGinley’s brain. Dublin boss Jim Gavin has also sought advice from the victorious Ryder Cup captain. ‘They are some similarities between them, but there is more emotion to Jim McGuinness than there is in Jim Gavin. He is a pilot and has trained like a pilot,’ McGinley says. However, he believes the criticism that Gavin faced after showing little emotion when his team completed three AllIreland titles in a row was a little wide of the mark. ‘When I was captain of the Ryder Cup, I realised that you had to leave emotion to one side because you have to make cold, calculated decisions and you can’t do that when you are emotional. So that is why Jim has such a cold, calculated mindset when on the line.’