What Michael Murphy did after a lacklustre return from injury really sums up what he's all about.
For the first time in a long time, Michael Murphy had a poor game for Donegal on Saturday.
Murphy returned from injury in the Allianz League clash against Dublin in Croke Park. When he came off the bench after 55 minutes, it was clear that he was a little rusty.
He immediately missed a free and drove another wide later in the game. He also wasted a few scoring opportunities, including kicking one ball straight into the goalkeeper's hands.
It was far from a vintage display from Donegal's talisman. The players knew it, the fans knew it and more importantly, the man himself knew it.
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For the third straight week, Donegal put in a good showing but walked away with nothing to show for it. They are languishing at the bottom of Division One after suffering a 0-20 to 0-15 loss to the All-Ireland champions.
It was good, but it wasn't good enough. For Murphy, it was clearly a frustrating evening. After the game, the Glenswilly man quietly made a statement of intent to improve matters. He didn't want to endure another performance like this again. Next time, he hopes it will be better.
When Croke Park emptied, Murphy went back out onto the pitch. When no one was watching, he did sprints on the hallowed soil.
Say what you want about his performance against the Dubs, but don't question his drive for a second. Once he shakes out the cobwebs, his presence will give his county a huge boost. He'll do everything in his power to make sure of it.
