A new era begins for Donegal football on Sunday when they take on Down in their Dr McKenna Cup opener in Páirc Esler.
It marks their first game under new manager Paddy Carr and will also be their first competitive outing since the retirement of their 2012 All-Ireland winning captain Michael Murphy.
One of the best players of his generation, the 33-year-old Glenswilly native announced his retirement from the county scene in November.
Read more: Recap as Armagh begin Dr McKenna Cup with facile victory over Antrim
Murphy has since indicated he’d made his decision following Donegal’s Qualifier loss to Armagh in Clones back in June.
Nevertheless, his absence will be keenly felt amid the Donegal panel, but Carr has challenged his players to stand up and fill the leadership void.
“Everyone in Donegal and beyond would have liked to have seen Michael Murphy play for the next 100 years,” stated Carr.
“It was always going to be a big question - what happens to Donegal football when Michael Murphy retires?
“Michael is a man, not just of great talent, but of great character and he retired purely for personal reasons. I think those reasons have to be respected.
“People will now wonder what Donegal football will be like in the post-Michael Murphy era.
“The reality is that Michael is one of the greats of Gaelic Football.
“My job now is to effectively get on with it. I believe that nothing has meaning except the meaning you put on it and I’m very happy to see the rest of the squad have chosen a very empowering meaning to Michael’s decision.
“They know they now have to step up and become leaders themselves because that’s what is needed.”
After a protracted appointment process to find Declan Bonner’s successor, Donegal will be under much scrutiny in the early stages of the new season.
Following their extra-time loss to Derry in the Ulster Final, they crashed out of the Qualifiers to Armagh after a 10-point defeat in Clones.
Sunday’s 2023 opener pits them against their Championship opponents Down, who claimed their first win over new boss Conor Laverty when defeating Monaghan 2-10 to 0-12 in Castleblayney on Wednesday night.
“Ever since I took over, there’s been questions over what has been happening with the panel,” added Carr.
“A lot of that is to do with things other than what happens on the field. When we get out onto the field for our first game, it becomes a much more enjoyable dynamic. I can’t wait for these games to come.
“I know during Mickey Harte’s tenure with Tyrone, he used the Dr McKenna Cup to get a bit of momentum going right at the start of the season. We’d be foolish to think these games aren’t important.
“Everyone knows there’s an opportunity for boys to step up and claim a place on the team and we’ll be selecting the team on merit based on what we’ve seen.”
The former Kilmacud Crokes boss will be joined on the sideline this season by former Louth manager Aidan O’Rourke and ex-Derry star Paddy Bradley, who guided his native Glenullin to the Derry Intermediate title in 2022.
Carr feels the trio will work well together as they look to hit the ground running this weekend.
“I know Aidan O’Rourke and he is a very unassuming, very talented and intelligent reader of the game,” said Carr.
“He gets the respect from the players he is involved with. One of the best qualities Aidan has is he is doing an awful lot of good things for the right reasons - for the love of the game and the challenge of bringing Donegal to the next level.
“Paddy Bradley is an icon in Derry and he brings a wealth of experience on the training field. He brings a great enthusiasm to the sessions and that’s very infectious and the players are really enjoying the sessions at the moment.”
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