Michael Murphy keen to get qualified before any Donegal posting

It's just over a year since Michael Murphy played his last game for Donegal. A defeat to Armagh in the All-Ireland qualifiers brought the curtain down on an inter-county career that spanned 16 seasons. Murphy waited before announcing his county retirement and in the statement that followed, he said: "I still love Gaelic football and I still love Donegal". That was November 2022.

In July 2023, speaking at a media event ahead of Sunday's Electric Ireland GAA All-Ireland minor football final between Derry and Monaghan, the Glenswill clubman again reiterated his passion for the game.

"I love Gaelic football, I just love the game and no mater where I am I don't think that love will ever stop. I love the place where I'm from so combining the two was great".

Murphy was there watching on as Donegal faced Down and Tyrone in this year's championship. Yes, there were a few pangs of regret, but not enough to make him reconsider the decision made last autumn.

"You would love to be out there but that is tempered by the fact that I know what's involved to get you there. When I wasn't doing that in October, November, December, January, February, March and April, then I knew as I much as I would love to throw yourself out there and do that, I then thought about how lucky I was to do it for all those years.

"Anybody from Donegal would love to be out there playing but to know what goes into it, and I was lucky to have put in what was needed, but I knew this year I wasn't able to do it. It couldn't be done."

Not only did Murphy get to see his native county from over the fence, he now can observe other county sides through his work as a pundit with BBC Northern Ireland and GAAGO.

It has given him the chance to see games live, something that wasn't