Jim McGuinness admits he had Michael Murphy ‘half-tortured’ to make Donegal return

“We spoke surely to God.”

Donegal Manager Jim McGuinness made an incredible return earlier this year, but unfortunately the county's star player Michael Murphy won't be doing the same. When McGuinness was first in charge of Donegal, Murphy was only 21 and was made captain of the team and from there the two went on to have an historic partnership, winning the All-Ireland title back in 2012. When the Glenties man left in 2014, Murphy remained as captain right up until 2022, but announced his retirement from the game at 34 years of age, just one season before his old manager was reinstated in the job.

Jim McGuinness admits he had Michael Murphy ‘half-tortured’ to make Donegal return.

When the news broke that he was indeed returning to the fold, people thought it would only be a matter of time before the full forward also made a U-turn on his retirement plans, however it wasn't to be.

“We spoke surely to God,” McGuinness said told DonegalLive. “I do speak to him all of the time and had him half-tortured there for a while. But whenever Michael made the decision there the first time I said then to people that Michael won’t change his mind. I tried my best to make that happen. “He played for 17 years and played at 34 years of age, so half of his life was dedicated to the senior team - not even the underage teams," McGuinness added. "So, unfortunately for us, we have to wish him well for now and let that boat leave the pier. Michael and I, we’ll be friends for life after the journey that we had.

“This is the first day I’ve ever had as a Donegal manager, at 21s or senior, when Michael wasn’t in the dressing room. I actually said to him at Ryan’s wedding on Friday that it was weird not having him starting out on the journey.”

Jim McGuinness says Donegal captaincy was between two players, but decision was "simple enough".

When Murphy did retire, it meant that Donegal was going to have a new captain for the first time in over a decade, and Paddy McBrearty was awarded with that honour. With McGuinness now back in charge, he had to decide whether or not to keep McBrearty as his leader or not, and considering that he is the only survivor of that 2012 All-Ireland winning team, many assumed that would be the case. However, in the team's first game under their new/old manager in a challenge game against Roscommon, Michael Langan was given the responsibility of captaincy with McBrearty out injured. “It’ll probably be Patrick,” McGuinness said of the captaincy. “Michael Langan did a great job today but it will be Patrick. You make those calls in training in many respects and he’s been there before and he’s got an All-Ireland medal with a lot of experience. “He’s still a young man, only 30 years of age. He has been instrumental in all that’s happened and pushing standards for himself and the group. "It’s a simple enough one." Related links:

• Jim McGuinness' comments should be a warning for Donegal's rivals
• Pat Spillane believes Jim McGuinness will struggle to replicate past success
• Michael Murphy is still tearing it up at club level in Donegal championship