Former Donegal star Karl Lacey believes that Michael Murphy wouldn't have came back to the inter-county game, if he wasn't capable of reaching the very top level again.
Lacey played alongside Murphy during Donegal's most fruitful time in their history, winning the All-Ireland together in 2012, and reaching the final once again in 2014.
The flying forward announced his retirement in 2022, and despite Jim McGuinness' advances last year, he would not reverse his decision.
However, now that the Football Rules Committee is likely to bring in new proposals that will allow players like Murphy to stay up front and actually be forwards, instead of constantly tracking back, the temptation to return was obviously too much.
Lacey currently manages the Down club champions Kilcoo, and speaking after their Ulster quarter-final victory over Crosserlough at the weekend, the 2012 Player of the Year believes that Murphy will have left no stone unturned.
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“Knowing Michael, he would have taken time in making his decision, I wouldn’t imagine it would have been just one phone call with Jim McGuinness and everything is rosy in the garden.
“Michael is a deep thinker and he would analyse himself, he would go through every little detail in terms of what needs to be done to hit that level again.
“He is obviously confident that he can and in the conversations he has had with the people around him.
“Listen, he is a fabulous footballer, he always was, he is a great leader, a great Donegal person and it is exciting for us and for Donegal supporters to sit in stand and watch him and see him pull the jersey back on, and I wish him all the best, I hope it goes well for him.”
It is worth noting that Murphy was a part of the FRC so he would have been peddling the new rules that favour forwards becoming forwards again, particularly the one where teams have to leave three up at the other side of the field.
In the 2022 Ulster final, the Glenswilly star spent most of the game chasing after Brendan Rogers who, although lined out as a full back, spent most of the game galloping up the pitch, and Murphy had no choice but to spend the match tracking him.
Now with the new rules in place, we will see him where everyone wants to see him, right on the edge of the square near the opposition goal.
