Murphy and Kerry's TJ Hogan clash in the Munster final

When he was eight, Conrad Murphy decided that he didn't care all that much for Gaelic football. He was, by his own assessment, simply no good. So he retired. An underage rugby career at the local club in Clonakilty flowered, culminating in an All-Ireland under-12 title run, which Murphy captained.

After reaching that summit, he pondered the bothersome prospect of Gaelic football once more and began to realise that his departure had been a little premature.

His about-turn was Cork's gain. Last summer, Murphy presented himself as one of the country's blue-chip young forwards, untouchable during a seven-point Munster minor final display and returning from injury to kick five points against Mayo in the September final.

"The last point I scored in the Munster final stands out because my father played minor football for Kerry 20 years ago and it was nice that we were playing them this time around. I suppose he'd have been shouting for Cork this time around, though."

Murphy's father, Jimmy, was one of the primary influences on a sporting career that was always influenced by football, apart from his brief, early adolescent hiatus. "I was always aware of my father's football background and that would have given me an initial interest. There were a lot of people around Clonakilty, fellas like Owen Mahony, who would have given me a tremendous amount of advice and experience, especially over the last couple of years."

By the age of 15, football was his sole sport.

"I did play hurling when I was younger but I got my head split open and decided that was that. I was never much good, always throwing the head in everywhere. I felt I was as well sticking to the football."

Cork selector Diarmuid O'Donovan says that Murphy's potential had been well flagged within the county for a year or two prior to his making the minor team. "He had an exceptionally good season when he was 16 and playing with a club like Clonakilty gave him a certain profile to go with that and he toured Australia with the Cork underage side the following spring. Conrad is a player with wonderful ball control, he is strong enough to be used as a ball winner and, of course, he is a lethal score-taker."

The measure of Murphy's importance to last year's All-Ireland winning team is perhaps best summed up in the attitude which followed his substitution through injury in the first half of the All-Ireland semi-final against Derry. Just after the Munster final triumph, Murphy wrenched a hamstring in a club game and even though he lined out for the Derry match and nailed a point from a free, his movement was totally hindered.

"I think we deserve a lot of credit for the way we came through as a team that day," says O'Donovan. "We were four points down when we lost Conrad after 25 minutes and it wasn't looking good. The way the team responded to his departure and took up the challenge was especially pleasing."

Murphy himself remembers limping across the line in utter dejection.

"I thought we were gone, four points down and not really on our game. The elation I felt afterwards was something else, because I knew at least I'd be getting a chance to play in an All-Ireland final.

Weekly visits to Dublin for laser treatment and 7 a.m. training sessions in Bantry with Liam Reilly ensured that the injury had healed sufficiently for the showdown with Mayo and over the course of the game, Murphy contributed five points, two of which he kicked at crucial junctures. Since then, Murphy has eased into a more gentle regime in order to allow the summer injury to fully rehabilitate and has begun studying in UCC. He did not however, accept a scholarship.

"I couldn't," he explains. "If I had gone for a scholarship, I'd be bound to playing championship football for the college. To be honest, I wouldn't want to play for any other team than Clonakilty and even if I did, I'd be shot."

But as the evenings begin to stretch again, Murphy will resume serious training hours once more. He turns 19 in February and is already a member of the Cork Under-21 team. Having been called into the Cork senior panel before Christmas, he hopes to resume training with them in the coming weeks.

As O'Donovan sees it, Murphy's future is glaringly bright but what follows very much depends on himself.

"He has so many natural advantages and the fact that he is dedicating himself solely to football helps. We had quite a number of dual players on the minor team last year and while that is a good thing in many respects, committing to one sport obviously allows a player more time to develop his skills. Conrad has a great attitude towards his game and there is every reason to believe he will go on to accomplish a lot."