DONEGAL’S ALL-IRELAND winning captain Michael Murphy has announced his retirement from inter-county football.
The Glenswilly man was one of the county’s most decorated players, captaining them to Sam Maguire glory in 2012.
The 33-year-old was also the captain for five Ulster senior final victories and won All-Star awards in 2012, 2014 and 2019.
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He had a huge impact on the county’s football fortunes since making his senior debut at the age of 18 against Leitrim in 2007.
Murphy announced his decision in a statement on the Donegal GAA website this evening.
“To have the chance to combine a sport I love with the place I love for 20 years of my life is a privilege and honour for which I am very grateful. But I always knew the day would come when this chapter of my life would have to close. Now, that day has arrived.
“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.
“The last time we sat together in the changing rooms in Clones, I told my teammates that whatever happened in the future, Donegal will always go on. That’s still my belief. I cannot and never will be able to express how thankful I am to my teammates and managers and those giving expert support over the seasons. Friendships and bonds have been forged which go with me throughout my life.
Michael Murphy with the Sam Maguire trophy in 2012. Donall Farmer / INPHO
Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO
“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.
“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. My family and my club are at the centre of all my plans for the future. 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.”
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Donegal All-Ireland winning captain Michael Murphy retires from inter-county football
DONEGAL’S ALL-IRELAND winning captain Michael Murphy has announced his retirement from inter-county football.
The Glenswilly man was one of the county’s most decorated players, captaining them to Sam Maguire glory in 2012.
The 33-year-old was also the captain for five Ulster senior final victories and won All-Star awards in 2012, 2014 and 2019.
He had a huge impact on the county’s football fortunes since making his senior debut at the age of 18 against Leitrim in 2007.
Murphy announced his decision in a statement on the Donegal GAA website this evening.
“To have the chance to combine a sport I love with the place I love for 20 years of my life is a privilege and honour for which I am very grateful. But I always knew the day would come when this chapter of my life would have to close. Now, that day has arrived.
“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.
“The last time we sat together in the changing rooms in Clones, I told my teammates that whatever happened in the future, Donegal will always go on. That’s still my belief. I cannot and never will be able to express how thankful I am to my teammates 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.
“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. My family and my club are at the centre of all my plans for the future. 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.”
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Donegal GAA Michael Murphy Time to go