‘Michael Murphy is a serious role model - the greatest the county has ever seen’

Sean Clerkin says he always felt Michael Murphy might return to the Donegal football fold.

The Buncrana club man and former Donegal minor and U-21 manager remembers the teenage Murphy, who went on to captain the county to the All-Ireland SFC in 2012 and has since made a comeback after a two-year sabbatical to line out for the seniors once more in 2025.

Three Mile House, Co Monagan native Clerkin will see Donegal - and a now 35-year-old Murphy - take on his native county at St Tiernach’s Park in Clones on Sunday for a place in the Ulster SFC semi-final.
Clerkin’s Donegal won the 2006 Ulster minor title at Croke Park, following their 2-12 to 1-5 win over Antrim, with Glenswilly’s Murphy manning the midfield.



That came after their victory against Armagh in the Ulster Minor League final, and Donegal would end up making the All-Ireland semi-final, where they eventually lost out to Kerry.

“It did not come as a surprise to me when it was learned that Michael was back in the squad for 2025,” Clerkin tells DonegalLive. “I was manager of the Donegal minors in 2006 and 2007, and I first became aware of Michael when he joined the minor squad in 2006.

“He was only coming 17 at the time and had been on the Donegal U-16 Buncrana Cup winning team from two years previous, in 2005. He was physically a big strong lad for his age, and he was a good footballer and was very committed from day one and wanted to play football for Donegal.

“Michael, Leo McLoone and Declan Walsh were the other 17-year-olds in the squad and they were three good footballers for their age. Michael was a very quiet lad but very dedicated and a dream to work with. He was a good trainer and was always working and practicing on improving his game.

“Even back then, he took his football very seriously and was totally dedicated to doing everything right to be the best he could. We had a good team and a good squad that year and we won the Ulster double league and championship.

“We played 11 games and only lost two, and one of them was the All-Ireland semi-final to Kerry. By that stage, Michael was beginning to make a name for himself."

Murphy’s progress was enough for him to take a call from Donegal senior manager Brian McIver ahead of the 2007 Dr McKenna Cup, where he debuted. Following on from a first ever NFL Division 1 crown, the teen rejoined the panel after his Leaving Cert and made his championship debut against Leitrim in the qualifiers, marking it with a thunderous goal.

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“After 2007, I moved on to manage the U-21s for two seasons, and of course, Jim McGuinness took over the U21s in 2010 and played senior football and the rest is history,” Clerkin adds.

With Eoin Waide from Naomh Conaill having captained Clerkin’s minors, McGuinness made Murphy skipper of the U-21s, who won Ulster and lost out narrowly to Dublin in the All-Ireland final. Murphy rattled a late penalty off the Dublin crossbar. McGuinness took over that summer of 2010 from John Joe Doherty.

“Jim appointed Michael as captain of the senior team in 2011 at 21, and he went on to develop into Donegal’s greatest ever footballers and one of the game’s outstanding players of his era,” Clerkin added.

“He captained Donegal to the 2012 All-Ireland success, the county's second All-Ireland triumph, five Ulster titles and picked up three All-Star awards. For a 10 to 12-year period before his first retirement in 2022, he was nationally recognised and acclaimed as one of the game's finest footballers. When he announced his retirement at the end of 2022 and even though he was only 33 did not surprise me either.

“He had 15 years of county football at a very high level behind him. And from a very early in that 15-year career, he was such an influence that he became a marked man and was signalled out by other teams for special attention. He had taken a lot of hits and picked up a lot of injuries over the years. After a while, those knocks and injuries begin to mount up and take their toll on the body.

“So he probably felt it was time to move on. And so he did with his head held high and owing Donegal football nothing. But I think there was almost an air of inevitability about it when Jim McGuinness returned as manager. It has been well documented that Jim did his best to convince him to return last year and that they were in regular contact.”

Murphy watched on from his position as BBC Northern Ireland analyst last July as Galway squeezed Donegal out in the All-Ireland semi-final. His return was announced late last year and the cheer that greeted his introduction as a substitute against Armagh in February raised the roof in Ballybofey. Murphy played a key role as Donegal began the defence of the Anglo-Celt Cup with a 1-25 to 1-15 win over Derry the Sunday before last.

“Last year’s All-Ireland semi-final defeat by Galway would have played a big part in convincing Michael to give it one more shot,” Clerkin adds. “ I have no doubt the Galway game would have prompted Jim McGuinness to have another crack at encouraging Michael to give it one more rattle of glory.

“And so it came to pass. Michael had a few outings in the league and played against Derry, the last day, in the preliminary round, and he did well. He looked to be in great shape. I had expected him to be used more as an impact sub. “But who am I to tell Jim McGuinness how Michael should be or should not be used? Jim knows what is the best way to use Michael.

“The reality is it is great to have him back and not only for his football ability. Michael Murphy is a serious role model - the greatest the county has ever seen.

“Imagine how it is for the young lads on the team who were seven, eight, nine or 10 years old when Michael captained Donegal to the 2012 All-Ireland success, to now be in the same dressing room with their boyhood hero?”

“Imagine what it is like for those young lads sharing the dressing room with Michael and togging out beside him the first night he arrived back to training? One can only imagine the boost that gave the squad to know the best player in the country for the previous decade was in their corner. “Imagine what it is like for those lads going out to play on the same team as Michael Murphy in pursuit of glory for Donegal?

“Michael is a sporting hero, a sporting icon to them all, and the effect and influence on the rest of the squad is immeasurable. Michael’s return is a serious plus for Donegal. My only concern about it is the hype it has generated and the talk of favourites for the All-Ireland.

“My biggest fear for Donegal is all the talk and hype about Donegal being favourites for the All-Ireland. It really concerns me when I hear people saying if we had Michael Murphy last year, we would have beaten Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final and gone on and won the All-Ireland.

“The likes of Peter Canavan on TV tipping Donegal as the All Ireland favourites also worries. Chat like that seeps through to players, and reducing its impact is one of Jim McGuinness’s biggest challenges in the coming weeks.”