Donegal team captain Michael Murphy is ready to rock.
Now in his 31st year, the Glenswilly giant made it clear that he is not interested in easing his way back into action, as Tir Conaill take on Mayo in a crunch opening NFL tie in Ballybofey on Saturday night.
And, watching Murphy managing Letterkenny IT to an historic victory over Sligo IT in the Sigerson Cup quarter-final, there is no doubt that we were watching a future Donegal senior team manager.
But Murphy was very emphatic about his burning desire to line out against Mayo under the lights on Saturday night.
For when asked gently if he was “looking forward to playing on Saturday night” he left the questioner in absolutely no doubt about his intentions for this season - not having featured last year in the first three League games- as he came on as a sub against Meath in Ballybofey and effectively turned the game.
“Yes, of course, if you weren’t looking forward to playing, there would be something badly wrong,” replied Murphy emphatically.
“When you're watching the football now you get a hunger to get back into it and this year we have been very lucky to be able to keep going in the off-season and to keep the bodies ticking over.
“Yes, I am looking forward to the challenge of Mayo and the rest of the League.”
Mayo have been a bit of bogey team for Donegal and the wounds from last year’s Super 8 defeat on a rainy night in Castlebar are still pretty raw.
And even though Murphy predictably downplays the importance of this opener, thee is no doubt that it is a home fixture they will be hoping to win as they have tricky away matches to both Dublin, Kerry and to a lesser extent, Meath.
When asked if it is a game Donegal need to win, he replies: “I think it is a game we want to win and there is a difference in want and need.
“Every game we play we want to win and three years on with this youngish team we would like to be kicking and taking learnings from the last two years.
“I think we have improved but the end result has not shown this in terms of two Super 8 exits, but we are now playing in Division One which is both a big boost and a big challenge.
“I would like to think we are ready and at it, but the Mayo match will tell that tale.”
When asked if the fact that Donegal did not play their final Dr McKenna game gave them some extra rest, he demurred slightly: “I don’t really know, we played two games and the lads were training.
“Look it comes down to this, if we beat Mayo everybody is fresh and if we lose it everybody is jaded.”
Murphy is very happy for his Letterkenny IT charges, Michael Lynch, Michael Langan, Peadar Mogan and Eoghan McGettigan.
At least two, if not three, are in with a shout of starting or definitely coming on against the wily Westerners today in Ballybofey.
“They have great ability, but what those boys bring also is a really great attitude and we can see that, and they are leaders,” Murphy said.
“Yes, it is a very busy time for these boys and hopefully they can enjoy it.
“In sport not everything goes on an upward curve, there will be peaks and troughs and I think they have the ability to deal with the peaks and troughs.”
But, nobody has dealt better with those peaks and troughs than Michael Murphy. He's ready to rock.
