It has taken a while - but now Murphy is living the dream
| Date | 20 November 2020 |
| Published date | 20 November 2020 |
| Publication title | Journal, The |
It was immediately clear the player had gained a lot of confidence from his loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday and the 25-yearold caught the eye in those first few sessions with his fitness, tenacity and end product.
Rangers, Bournemouth, Watford and Nottingham Forest were among the clubs interested in taking Murphy on loan again but, tellingly, Bruce did not want to let him go.
Throughout the summer, the head coach told Murphy to keep working hard and stay patient - and the Newcastle boss soon informed him he would be included in his Premier League squad.
Making the squad was one thing but Murphy's next challenge was to get in the team. Following a 690- day wait to start a Premier League game, Murphy took that chance at Wolves last month.
Playing out of position at wingback in the top flight is never easy, particularly when you are coming up against Daniel Podence, Pedro Neto and Adama Traore at various points - but Murphy did not look out of place at Molineux and popped up with a late equaliser for his side.
A lot of thought went into that 89th-minute free-kick.
Murphy had been practising setpieces in the run-up to the trip to the West Midlands and had also analysed clips of Rui Patricio the night before the game.
He fatefully noted how 'anything low and hard' would catch the Wolves' goalkeeper out.
These are the fine details at this level and the winger has also been working with a sports psychologist, a personal chef and an analyst to try to make the most out of his time away from the training ground.
Clearly, Murphy is determined to succeed at his boyhood club and agent Jamie Moralee admits his friend and client 'never gave up on the dream'.
He said: "Jacob has time on his side to develop into a good player and show the fans the money paid for him two years ago was not wasted and he has actually been a good investment.
"All he wants, really, is to be accepted and please the fans because you see the pictures of the early days when he was literally out of nappies wearing a Newcastle shirt.
"Not many people have the opportunity to play for their boyhood club and I think it would've hurt him if he had not had the opportunity and been sold last summer.
"He would have looked back on it and thought, 'A few appearances here and there but they never got the best out of me'."
Murphy's mother Maxine is from...
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