Michael Murphy’s teammates had long left the pitch.
Many of them had got changed and were drifting away from Hibernian Park in Burt.
And yet Donegal’s greatest ever footballer was still togged out in the middle of the pitch.
His Glenswilly team had just seen off the challenge of a stubborn Burt side in a Division Two league encounter.
During the game the 33-year-old had shown flashes of the brilliance which he has displayed on pitches everywhere from Adelaide to Ardara and in between during an epic career.
The poise. The balance. The fetching. The one handed catch while holding off his marker with the other hand. Sometimes you have to look carefully to see if there is a third hand.
And the heart. As big as the mill wheel a few hundred yards from his home. Always giving.
The heart was the reason he was still on the field today as car after car and supporter after supporter had left the Inishowen ground.
In the centre of the pitch he stood, slightly hunched over but still a colossus to the many small children who huddled around him patiently.
Patiently he posed for photos, signed jerseys and pieces of paper and shook hands, the number 14 emblazoned across his broad back.
He could so easily have made an excuse and jogged off into the safety and peace of the dressing room and his teammates.
But that’s not his style, it’s not the way he was brought up and certainly not the way he will be remembered.
It was an honour to see him wear the Donegal jersey for many years but he has moved onto the next chapter of his sporting career.
One day he will most likely manage the team he is still playing with. If he wants to and has the hunger for it, perhaps the Donegal County Board will come calling in time.
But for now he’ll give his twilight playing years to his club and to meeting the generations of children lucky enough to have him line out against their team.
We’d like to think that he’ll go on forever but unfortunately he won’t.
Snag yourself a ticket the next time he strolls along to your ground and make yourself a sporting memory.
