Former Donegal captain Michael Murphy will line out for the Donegal senior footballers next year after a rumour about his return became a reality this week.
Murphy is regarded as one of, if not the greatest, footballers to play for Donegal. The Glenswilly native was Donegal county captain from December 2010 until his retirement from inter-county football in November 2022.
Last year, Murphy’s old boss, Jim McGuinness, returned to take up the reins as Donegal’s senior football manager. The pair won an All-Ireland together in 2012 and three Ulster Senior Football titles in 2011, 2012, and 2014.
Since his retirement, there have been rumours of McGuinness and Murphy reuniting, but Murphy put those rumours to bed on more than one occasion. Instead, he focused on his media work with the BBC and GAAGO.
“We chat a lot; we always do still chat a lot. We chat every couple of weeks, and since he came back in, that hasn’t stopped,” Murphy said last year.
“For me, it hasn’t changed since day one when I made the call to retire. That was it; I was out. Just because Jim has come back, as much as there’s loyalty there from me to him and from me to Donegal, it still doesn’t change in terms of the playing point of view.”
Former Donegal captain Michael Murphy lifts the Anglo-Celt for Donegal (photo: Michael O’Donnell)However, this week, it has been stated that Murphy has had his mind changed because of the new rules enacted by the Jim Gavin-led Football Review Committee, a committee he was part of.
Murphy has now been added to Jim McGuinness’ training panel for the upcoming football season.
The news was also confirmed by a number of outlets in the UK and Ireland after the rumour surfaced.
Former Donegal All-Ireland winner Eamon McGee claimed Murphy’s return will be a huge lift to Jim McGuinness’ squad.
“It is a massive positive for Donegal,” said McGee to the Mirror
“It will be a huge lift for the young bucks in the panel to see him, play with him, and learn from him.
“If the management were looking at it and saying, ‘Where do we get the next extra lift from?’ The obvious one is Michael Murphy, ‘He’s not done and dusted. Let’s go to him.’”
“You are going to need to watch Murphy. It is going to free up the likes of Oisin Gallen. Paddy McBrearty is going to be knocking about.”