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'Letting the team down, letting the county down, is the biggest disappointment'

Donegal’s Michael Murphy on a tough 2021, the retirement question and his future in management.

LAST UPDATE | Oct 30th 2021, 10:02 AM

AS FAR AS seasons go, 2021 was a difficult one for Michael Murphy. 

michael-murphy-dejected Donegal’s Michael Murphy. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO

A hamstring injury against Monaghan in May curtailed the Donegal star’s involvement in the league, leaving him in a race to be fit in time for the championship.

He managed to get himself back onto the field in time for the Ulster SFC opener against Down, but was withdrawn before the half-hour mark after feeling his hamstring tighten.

He arrived on as a second-half sub in the narrow win over Derry, before returning to the starting XV in time to play Tyrone in the semi-final. That day turned into a nightmare as he missed a penalty before being sent-off inside the opening period. 

The loss of the All-Ireland winning captain was a crushing blow. After a bright start, Tyrone took full advantage of their extra man and bounced into the Ulster final with a six-point win. The absence of a backdoor meant Donegal’s summer was over. Left to lick their wounds in mid-July. 

Six weeks later, Tyrone were celebrating the county’s fourth All-Ireland title. Donegal could only watch on in frustration and wonder what might have been. 

“It was a tricky, tricky year, tricky summer, especially to lose, it was a tough one to stomach in terms of my own personal performances and managing injuries and my performance against Tyrone,” reflects Murphy. 

“It was strange, it was different than any other championship year I’ve had. I was so used to being engrossed on the pitch on a Tuesday and Thursday. Having to try manage that load throughout the week certainly was frustrating. But listen, that’s sport I’ve had a really strong run of it over the last 10, 12 years. 

“I kind of felt I was managing it fairly okay but the proof is in the pudding when when you get out onto the green sod on a matchday then is where you need to show it.

“Unfortunately for me this year…it’s not that I didn’t feel I was able to, I was still confident I was able to when I took the field, but essentially I didn’t perform to the way I would have wanted to do. 

“I’m kind of around long enough to know that that’s life, things don’t run smoothly every season. Some seasons go poorly. More seasons go poorly than they go well for you. You just have to get up back on that horse again and get at it.

“Stomach it up over the last number of months and get through the winter and then wait for the league to come around again and try and just get stuck back into it.”

Given Donegal had 16 points to spare over Down in the Ulster quarter-final, some pundits felt Declan Bonner should have rested Murphy for the game. It’s an idea he pushes back on, having declared himself fit in the run-in to the match. 

“I didn’t really listen to the reaction. I’m fairly single minded. I declared myself fit in the middle of that week, I felt I was good to go. I’m a big believer in terms of the rehab and the work that I was capable and fit to go for that day. I still was, its just in the middle or early part of that game I just felt it again.

michael-murphy-watches-the-game-from-the-bench-after-receiving-a-red-card Donegal's Michael Murphy watches the game from the bench after receiving a red card against Tyrone. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO

“I don’t feel that it set me back anymore for the year, it didn’t do any further damage based on everything I would have done after that. I wear your county jersey on a championship day, for somebody to say you shouldn’t have don’t it, I’d never agree with that too much. Any chance that you’re half-ready or half-right to play you always pull it on. I wouldn’t have any regret in doing so.”

The Tyrone defeat was a tough one to stomach. Donegal defeated their Ulster rivals in the league and were two points in front when their talisman stood over a spot-kick after Ciaran Thompson was hauled down by Rory Brennan. 

Murphy’s effort clipped the outside of the post and went wide. Already on a yellow, his decision to pull on a loose ball with Kieran McGeary minutes later resulted in Murphy being sent to the line.

Having lost Neil McGee to injury earlier in the game, Donegal missed the experience of their veterans as the day went on. The legs tired in the closing stages and by the end Donegal’s tank was empty.

It’s clear the pain of that day still lingers for Murphy. 

“It definitely wasn’t one of my happier times, one of the happier summers,” he says.

“It’s life, I didn’t go out to do that. I went out to perform as best I could. Between the penalty and the red card, I should be experienced enough to know that when you’re on a yellow you have to really walk a thin line.

“So I can have no qualms or complains over it. Just letting the team down, letting the county down, is the biggest disappointment. That’s one that I just have to live with because the group went on to perform really well throughout the rest of that game. They brought them back to all-square at the start of the second-half.

“They were performing really, really well but as the game ebbed on it was fairly prevalent that the man less was affecting us and it was really giving an advantage to Tyrone. Listen, credit where credit is due, they did what they had to do.

“On the day we made more mistakes than they did, myself probably culpable of many of the mistakes but you put yourself out there to try and influence in some way or other. Unfortunately my influences were more probably negative than they were positive and it didn’t help our team on the day to try and win the game for Donegal.

“I’ve had plenty of thinking time over the summer to think about it, to try conceptualise it, to try figure out the learnings you can take from it and bring into the new season and actually try come back stronger because that’s what we all want to do as sports performers.”

kieran-mcgeary-with-michael-murphy Murphy wins a ball ahead of Tyrone's Kieran McGeary during their league encounter. Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

Donegal’s athleticism and scoring power meant they were viewed by many as the biggest threats to Dublin’s throne in recent seasons, but defeats to Tyrone, Cavan and Mayo in do or die games since 2019 meant they’ve failed to reach even the All-Ireland semi-final in those seasons. 

Their tendency to flame out on the big day is a source of frustration for Murphy, who hasn’t played in an All-Ireland final since 2014.

“There’s a body of evidence there now, there’s three games you mentioned we fell on the wrong side of. It’s there, is it an issue? I don’t believe it’s an issue. Is it something we want to put right? 100% it is.

“That’s three years for us now and we have to put it right. The only way to do that is on the green sod. I can speak to you now and tell you the ins and outs, the lie of the land, but until we go to the latter stages and put it right then it won’t be.

“It’ll just be something we keep on speaking about. I’ve unwavering belief that we can and we will. That’s one thing that assures me, I’ve belief in this current group every night we go to training in convoy. I’ve no doubt of the capabilities of everybody left and right within the group.

“That’s what really encourages me so we just need to keep at it. The years of coming through these experiences can tighten us as a unit too, I believe, in a positive way.

“I think the age profile within the group is strong, the skill level is strong and I know the hunger that’s there to try and put it right is good so I’m looking forward to soldiering on alongside them again this year to try and push us on and push Donegal on as a county.”

At 32, Murphy is on the inter-county scene a season longer than Joe Canning, who retired from Galway duty earlier this year.

In the wake of his retirement, 33-year-old Canning spoke about the burden of pressure that came with being a public figure and leading his county for well over a decade.

Few would understand where Canning is coming from more than Murphy, who likewise made his breakthrough as a teenager and has been their main man virtually ever since.

“Do you ever learn to deal with it perfectly?” he asks, before answering his own question. “No, you don’t.

“Without a doubt it’s a responsibility and anything that comes with responsibility comes with a pressure and a burden without a doubt. I’ve always come back to the grateful piece.

“I’m just so fortunate, the couple of things I love in life is Gaelic football, I love the game itself, I love watching it, playing it, trying to figure it out. And then I love Donegal. So when you can mingle them together I’m just so grateful to be able to do it.

michael-murphy-arrives-in-breffni-park Michael Murphy arrives in Breffni Park before a league tie against Cavan. Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

“Like anything you commit to and want to do right and well, it’s going to take a toll. With that, to meet friends, to represent Donegal, to play alongside people from your county, to have good and bad days, to represent your club, the positives that’s involved with all that for me, they’re huge.

“And I’m still motivated by it. The fire burns bright still for me. I’m sure there will come a time where it won’t be as much, but it just hasn’t arrived for me yet. So I’ll be there for a little while more.”

He accepts he has more football behind him than in front. The retirement question is inevitably posed once players enter their 30s. Murphy has an age in his head when he’ll kick his last ball for Donegal.   

“I have an idea definitely of when (I’ll retire) and I think it’s important I’ll work towards that. My hunger, motivation and love playing Gaelic football, and my love to play for and represent Donegal is still burning as strong as it ever has.

“So that’ll be the way but I also know that I’ve less years left than I have played. I’m conscious too that you don’t want to overstay your welcome. As long as I can continue to represent Donegal in the manner it should be represented as a county as as long as I can still have that love for Gaelic football in general, I’ll still be playing.

“But yeah, I know there’s less than there is more so you’re just seizing every moment. Like you’ve always done. It’s not that you’re going to seize it any more next year. Being honest since I came in at 17 I believe I’ve seized every year to try and push forward individually and push Donegal forward.

“Next year is going to be no more different, it’s not going to be any more or less. It’s just going to be the same.”

Earlier this year he moved onto a new role in Letterkenny IT as their Head of Sport, having previously managed the college’s football team since 2017. He showed his coaching acumen by leading them to Trench Cup glory in 2019.

A keen student of the game, Murphy remains fascinated by the tactical side of it.

“It’s analysed to the rims, analysed online, papers analyse it, there’s brilliant snippets everywhere. 

“There’s new innovations tactically and physically, the strength and conditioning world is at its peak, whether it’s a county side or a club side. The technical side of the game is quite strong where it’s at, in terms of teams really figuring out individuals, you need to be extremely super professional because most teams are physically and tactically well-tuned.”

He has helped out with Donegal’s Head of Academy and former team-mate Karl Lacey. He worked with the county’s U14s this year and is keen to continue his coaching with underage squads next year. 

“It’s something I enjoy,” he says. “I think it’s important too while you’re still a player it gives you another perspective and it’s good to do as much as time allows.”

Last year he completed a Masters in Sports and Exercise Psychology with UUJ, adding another string to his bow.

“There’s this fascination around the psychological side in terms of has it been, has it been identified and addressed and potentially looked at in terms of how it could potentially influence the future. You hear that there’s definitely more there’s definitely more of an ears open approach in GAA circles at the moment. 

michael-murphy Murphy takes a free against Dublin in Croke Park. Tom O'Hanlon / INPHO Tom O'Hanlon / INPHO / INPHO

“You always hear the success stories of the teams that have won and the influence of  a psychologist with the teams that have won, like the Limerick hurlers (with Caroline Currid) over the last couple of years.

“I just believe around that whole space of, player well being and and that whole thing of player is a person, you can’t get away from that fact. If the person potentially isn’t content, happy, motivated, if they aren’t that way, then how do you expect the player to perform?

“Especially in the GAA circumstance where 22 hours of your day is spent away from the confines of being a player. You’re a person, you’re a worker, you’re a student, you’re a family member, you’re a son, you’re father.

“If all of them elements aren’t aligning, and you’re not content and happy and motivated and all of them other things, then how for those two hours of the day are you meant to be performing?”

Given his leadership, knowledge, experience and calm demeanour, many feel Murphy has all the makings of a future Donegal manager. However, he’s unsure of that. 

“I don’t know. I would always have said five or six years ago, yeah 100%. The more that I see it up close now, the more I maybe wouldn’t be so sure. It’s an absolute trojan commitment.

“A lot of things in your life would need to be fairly well squared away in order to try commit to the time that’s needed, the time I’d want to commit to it. I haven’t thought abut it in depth enough but you’ve wee thoughts every now and then throughout the course of a year.

“It’s hard to know. The more it goes on the more I’m not so sure. Definitely in some capacity in Gaelic football I’ll be continuing anyway.”

There’s a few good years in him yet.

*******

Michael Murphy was speaking at the launch of the Bread Made Better, The Secret is Out campaign as Gallaghers Bakehouse launch an exciting new range of Handcrafted Sourdough breads.

Gallaghers Bakehouse range

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