Donegal boss Jim McGuinness is confident his new role with Glasgow Celtic will help his team’s bid to retain the All-Ireland title.

McGuinness was in New York with the all-stars last weekend ahead of his new role as a sports psychologist with Celtic.

Speaking in America, he said, “Other managers have jobs too. Does that impact on their role as managers? My assistant Rory Gallagher is running a shop and has got 40 staff.

“Is that disrupting his focus with Donegal? No. Conor Counihan has a big job too. Does that take his away his focus from Cork? I don’t think so.

“You would need to ask other managers. Does their day job impact with the job that they do with the county team? My role with Celtic won’t be an issue at all as far as Donegal are concerned.

“When I’m at home, I can focus solely on Donegal. There’s not a manager in the country that has that situation. It’s about how you use the time.

“I will be living in Glasgow a few nights a week and I can spend that time working on things I want to do with Donegal.”

Like McGuinness, All-Ireland winner Karl Lacey has appealed to the Ulster Council to allow Donegal begin their defense of the Sam Maguire Cup at home to Tyrone next May.

Donegal have been drawn at home in the preliminary round of the Ulster SFC, but Lacey fears the game could be moved from Ballybofey to the bigger stadium in Clones.

Speaking during the all-stars tour to New York, he said, “We have been unlucky the last two years getting drawn in the preliminary rounds.

“We have done it the hard way and it looks like we will have to do it the hard way against this year. A home draw is a home draw and that is the way it goes.

“Fair enough, if they sell out, they sell out and you can’t get any more people in. It is no different to an All-Ireland final if it is a sell-out.

“We don’t want to lose out. I think it is very unfair that we are being treated like that, especially when we are the All-Ireland champions and we have not got the respect that we should have. We definitely feel that we should have a home tie.”