By Michael McMullan

FORMER All-Ireland winning captain Michael Murphy was full of praise for Finnbarr Roarty after his performance in Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final win over Meath.

Murphy was keen to point out the overall Donegal collective effort as they knock on the door of All-Ireland final day for a fourth time in the county’s history.

“Finnbarr is just incredible to be around,” Murphy said of the Naomh Conaill newcomer. “He’s just a brilliant fellow to be sharing a dressing room with.

“His energy, you’ve seen him out there on the pitch today, we’re seeing that every single night of the week, so you’re not as shocked or surprised when you see it out in the middle of Croke Park in the semi-final.

“Likewise, when you take a wee step back and think about it a bit more, it’s an incredible performance from him.

“Likewise, Shane O’Donnell and Ciarán Moore. Everybody’s there and everybody’s putting the shoulder to the wheel and you have boys coming in off the bench pushing on.

“Everybody’s a cog in the wheel now. I keep going back to that picture and I think that’s the picture that we’re living in.

“How do we help the team be in the best possible position to win a game? It’s boring stuff, but that’s the nature of it. That’s the way we are.”

After stepping away from inter-county football, Murphy made a return this season and kicked 0-6 including his side’s opening score before being replaced by Patrick McBrearty during Sunday’s semi-final win over Meath.

“(It was) a tiny wee bang there, so it’s just one of those things,” he said of a knock picked up. “It was just kind of impeding a wee bit. Paddy (McBrearty) came in and done phenomenal and all the bench came in and done phenomenal.

“It’s just a journey, it’s just happening and you’re in it and you’re not really spending your time to think back or think what it’s like or think what it is.

“I think that’s the nature of the season the way it is at the moment. You’re just here, you’re just here in the present.”

Having lifted Sam Maguire in 2012, Murphy didn’t dwell on his return, after taking his scoring return to 52 points this season.

“Whatever you can give for as long as you can give it, you’ll just give it and see where it takes you,” the Glenswilly man said.

His return to the Donegal camp dominated headlines in the pre-season but Murphy was quick to play down his role in the county reaching another All-Ireland final.

“It was back to help in whatever way possible that I could,” he said of the decision to return.

“Whether it was for five minutes in a game, whether it was to help training, that’s really what it was.

“I had in my head; you weren’t going to be back the same way that you were and that’s always the way it is when you push on in years and you’re not playing football for a couple of years.

“That’s essentially the way it is, so I’d made peace with that and that’s what I continue to make peace with.

“It’s just what way can you help the team and what way can you help the county. That’s just the mindset that I was in and that’s the mindset that I’m probably still in.”

Once he made the decision to return to the inter-county scene, the priority was to get the body into the condition to play at the top level.

“That’s the way it was,” he pointed out. “In fairness to the group around here, we’ve been very, very lucky with everybody that we’ve had here.

“A lot of players speak about it to the backroom teams and this and that and the other, but we’re absolutely blessed to the group that we have here.”