Michael Murphy preparing for his third final

MICHAEL Murphy sees Kerry as an “incredible” challenge in Sunday’s All-Ireland final showdown as Donegal take aim on taking Sam Maguire to the hills for the third time.

The 2012 winning captain spent the last two seasons pouring over the race for Sam in his role as analyst before answering the call for a return from inter-county retirement.

Speaking ahead of the county’s fourth All-Ireland final appearance, Murphy is just happy to be a “cog” as they try to put the county on the map.

“Just being part of the team, that’s what I’ve kind of enjoyed so far,” the Glenswilly man said of his return to the Donegal camp.

“Coming back here, you’re just part of the group, you’re part of the team, you’re a cog in the wheel.”

After their 20-point semi-final win over Meath, Murphy spoke of how skipper Patrick McBrearty addressed the panel of what the buildup to the final would look like. It was about hitting reset ahead of the season’s biggest game.

“The silly stuff, stupid stuff, enjoyable stuff and energy zapping stuff,” Murphy said of the off the field boxes needing ticked since beating Meath.

“You’re probably trying to bring a bit of whatever you can bring to that there,” he added of his own role ahead of Sunday in Croke Park.

It’s a two-week break. In 2012, it was double. Three in 2014. For Murphy, replaced with a “tiny wee bang” in the semi-final, their lead in time has been about getting the bodies right. Getting ready for Kerry is the only show in town.

“It’ll be an incredible challenge,” he said. “We’ve seen them and you can see what they did to Tyrone, see what they did to Armagh beforehand.

“It was incredible. we’ll just need to get our house in order and see what way we can bring a battle to the game.”

Murphy views the game as another step in the journey. Speaking with the calmness years of experience has banked away, he is living in the moment. Not looking back. Not peeking beyond the next fence.

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

Donegal were close to last year’s All-Ireland final with Murphy on the outside looking in. There was no Finnbarr Roarty in the equation. They didn’t have the 1-33 Conor O’Donnell as totted up ahead of this year’s decider.

Eoin McHugh, Eoghan McGettigan and Odhrán McFadden Ferry were also added to the panel.

In Murphy’s case, he plays down any narrative that his high-profile run was about getting back to another All-Ireland final.

“It was back to help in whatever way possible that I could,” he clarified. “Whether it was for five minutes in a game, whether it was to help training, that’s really what it was that I had in my head.

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

“I had made peace with that and that’s what I continue to make peace with. What way can you help the team, what way can you help the county? That’s just the kind of mindset that I was in and that’s the mindset that I’m probably still in.”

Check out our latest podcast as Rory Grugan and Gerard O’Kane look ahead to Sunday’s All-Ireland final.