Michael Murphy: Donegal great retires from inter-county football
- Published
Michael Murphy lifted Sam Maguire for Donegal in 2012
Donegal's All-Ireland winning captain Michael Murphy has announced his retirement from inter-county football.
The 33-year-old made his Donegal debut in 2007 and captained the county to All-Ireland success in 2012.
The Glenswilly forward also won five Ulster Senior Football championships, including back-to-back triumphs in 2018 and 2019, and is a three-time All Star.
Donegal GAA described Murphy as a "colossus, inspirational leader and exemplary captain".
In a statement, Murphy said representing Donegal was a "privilege and honour for which I am very grateful".
"I always knew the day would come when this chapter of my life would have to close. Now, that day has arrived," he said.
"I still love gaelic football and I still love Donegal. However, in the team I'm proud to have captained, to compete at the level which Donegal deserves requires the best I can give every day.
"I no longer feel I have the energy and capacity to reach the performance levels to give my best to Donegal."
'Donegal will still go on'
Regarded as an all-action figurehead since breaking into the senior Donegal panel as a teenager in 2007, Murphy has been integral to the success of his county after several barren years.
An Ulster Championship winner at minor and under-21 level, he was named senior captain at the age of 21 by Jim McGuinness ahead of the 2011 season.
Led by Murphy, Donegal ended their four-year trophy drought by winning the 2011 Football League Division Two crown and followed that success up by claiming a first Ulster title in 19 years.
Further Ulster Championships followed in 2012, 2014, 2018 and 2019, but Murphy's biggest achievement came in the 2012 All-Ireland when he scored 1-4 at Croke Park as Donegal defeated Mayo and became the second man from the county to lift the Sam Maguire.
Murphy's goal that day was the first score of the game and set the tone for Donegal's display as they defeated a Mayo side that had surprised Dublin in the semi-finals.
His final game for Donegal was a heavy defeat by Armagh in the second round of All-Ireland qualifiers in June.
The defeat now marks the end of an era for the county with manager Declan Bonner having stepped down, with Paddy Carr recently installed as his successor following a protracted search for a new boss.
With Murphy having to contend with a series of injuries in recent times, he did appear to be labouring in the closing stages of Donegal's concluding championship games this year and clearly feels that now is the correct time to call a halt to his inter-county career.
Michael Murphy's last Donegal game was June's All-Ireland qualifier defeat by Armagh at Clones
"The last time we sat together in the changing rooms in Clones, I told my team-mates that whatever happened in the future, Donegal will always go on. That's still my belief," Murphy added.
"I cannot and never will be able to express how thankful I am to my team-mates and managers and those giving expert support over the seasons. Friendships and bonds have been forged which go with me throughout my life.
"To those good people who support our county team and everyone I know in Donegal: they say we are different up here. Well, we are different in the best of ways.
"Thank you to all of you who have made this journey very special for me. I look forward to pulling on a Donegal jersey and joining you in the terraces to support our teams."
Murphy added he would continue to play for Glenswilly and "my family and club are at the centre of all my plans for the future".
"To my own family and my club Glenswilly GAA, you've always been there for me, through the highs and the lows. It was you who made the sacrifices so that I could follow my dream.
"They deserve the best of me too. Maybe in the years ahead, I'll find new ways to offer something more to my home county."
Murphy's final comments hints at a future managerial role with his beloved county which given his leadership qualities, seems an obvious eventual destination for the Glenswilly man.