Former Donegal manager Brian McEniff described Michael Murphy as the county's greatest ever player after the Glenswilly man announced his retirement on Wednesday.
The 1992 All-Ireland-winning manager admitted to being disappointed when he heard the news and claimed that Murphy “would be irreplaceable.”
“There is no other way to say it and he was simply Donegal’s greatest ever player," McEniff said.
"He has given 15 years at senior inter county level and before that at underage and college level.
“Michael brought his club up from intermediate to five county finals, winning three of them and the best tribute I can pay to him is that when we were down in Cork playing a game a few years ago, Larry Tompkins said that Michael was the best player in Ireland for the past 10 years, he was that good”.
McEniff guided a celebrated crop of Donegal footballers to their breakthrough success in 1992 but he believes Murphy's longevity, physicality and commitment are all important factors in placing him at the top of the county's best footballers.
“Without doubt he was Donegal’s greatest ever player considering the length of time he played as well," he said.
“He was physically strong and took a lot more abuse than people might have realised.
“And he was so committed and so very modest, but he commanded huge respect from his team-mates.
“He will be back in some capacity as a coach or a manager in a short space of time after he gets a of a rest so that he can get a wee bit of his life together.
“Because his life has been on hold for the past period of time.
“He has not had the chance to live a life except football."
McEniff added that he could see Murphy as a future Donegal manager.
“Yes, it is more than possible, and I would see it there for him in the future if he wanted it.
“It’s hard to say whether he wants to be a manager or a coach, but I am quite sure that that is where his heart is."
Murphy first came onto the radar of the former Donegal manager towards the end of his most recent stint in charge of the county's senior footballers in 2005 when he was still at school
“He was at St Eunan’s, and he powered Eunan’s in the MacRory Cup virtually on his own," McEniff said.
“They didn’t win it, but he was the main man.
“Since that he has been managing LYIT and they got to the semi-final of the Sigerson Cup which is another testament to him”.
He added: “But he will be committed to his club Glenswilly for the next period of time, and he is still a mighty club player.
“The last time that our Bundoran club played Glenswilly down there, we put our best player in on top of him and a man in front of him and he still scored 1-12.
“On his day he is unmarkable”.
His record as captain of his county from 2011 to 2022 is unprecedented and is a record that will probably never be equalled.
“That shows you what all the different managers and his fellow players thought of him," added McEniff.
“I am sorry he is not there for Paddy Carr in his first year, but it is up to the boys to take responsibility and drive on in his absence and that is the greatest tribute they could pay him.
“The players all looked up to him and they listened to him when he talked in the dressing room, and he knew his football so very well too.
“His father Mick Murphy was coaching officer in the county for many years, a Mayo man and his mother is from Donegal.
“Michael is an only child, but he is just so modest, grounded, and humble and is an example to all of us."
