Declan Bonner believes Rory Gallagher is the only viable option to succeed Jim McGuinness as Donegal senior football manager.

Fermanagh native Gallagher worked alongside McGuinness for the first three years of his tenure at the helm and was instrumental in the 2012 All-Ireland SFC success in his capacity as assistant manager.

The Killybegs resident and current Kilcar manager parted company with McGuinness last September and, according to this year's Donegal minor boss Bonner is "the only candidate" to take the reins ahead of the 2015 season.

"I don't know if Rory has shown his hand but I feel he is the only candidate," Bonner says in The Irish Independent. "If he doesn't, it may be difficult for anyone to fill it."

Bonner, who led Donegal to their first-ever All-Ireland MFC final last month, has distanced himself from a return to the vacant senior position: "My plan is to stay with the minors. I don't know exactly what will happen because it's a bit up in the air at the minute in terms of the process that the County Board need to go through.

"At this stage it wasn't my intention to be involved with the seniors. My plan was based over five or six years in terms of the underage structures and getting the proper structures in place."

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