Michael Murphy: Donegal return was never on the cards

Former Donegal All-Ireland winning captain Michael Murphy has said that returning to the fold was never an option despite the fanfare surrounding Jim McGuinness' reappointment.

In 2012, McGuinness installed the Glenswilly man as captain as the Tir Chonaill County captured Sam Maguire for a second time, and although the waters were tested, Murphy said he was never going to reverse the decision he made after the 2022 season to step away from the inter-county scene.

"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 at the GAAGO 2024 season launch at Croke Park.

"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 a loyalty there from me to him, and from me to Donegal, it still doesn't change in terms of the playing point of view.

"Definitely it was never a case of ever going back and that's still the case now."

"Definitely it was never a case of ever going back and that's still the case now. I'll try to give to Donegal in another way. I'm heavily involved with my own club and I'll get back involved with Donegal at underage now and give back in that way. No playing for me, it's job done 100%."

Murphy's fledgling coaching career took a step forward last month as he guided Glenswilly to the U-18 Donegal A title, and his GAA life is constantly evolving given his punditry duties with GAAGO also.

Another relatively new branch is watching the senior team as a fan – something he did last season for the first time since 2006.

It was not the most enjoyable time to do so with a series of issues on and off the pitch creating a downtrodden atmosphere within the