Newsletter

Get your daily update and weekly newsletter by signing up today!

News

Jacob Murphy wants to plant his ‘Flag in the sand’

7 years ago
Share

Jacob Murphy says that he knows he has to make an ‘impact straight away’ after joining Newcastle for £12.5m from Norwich City.

The winger is Newcastle’s biggest signing of the summer (so far…) and made his first appearance against Preston on Saturday.

Playing the second-half in a pretty mundane friendly, it was nevertheless a big moment for the lifelong Newcastle fan, Jacob Murphy saying ‘It was a proud moment for myself and my family’.

Hopefully there will be many more moments that the 22 year old can take pride in but for the moment he is just trying to get his fitness up to speed and get to know the style of play at his new club.

With nine goals and six assists in the Championship last season, he carries undoubted promise, and he wouldn’t be the first player to hit the Premier League as a relative unknown and take people by surprise.

It will be interesting to see how Rafa Benitez handles the inexperienced player, as he balances the instant need for results with that of Murphy’s long-term future.

As Newcastle’s most expensive signing so far of the window, he is understandably in the spotlight and fan expectation is inevitable, a couple of more heavyweight/eye-catching signings would definitely help him to fade a little into the background and quietly get on with the job.

Three weeks today and Newcastle fans wonder just who will be starting against Tottenham…

Jacob Murphy speaking to the official club site:

“It was a relief to finally pull it (the shirt) on. It’s taken me all week to get it on but it was nice to look down at my chest and see the badge.

 “I know I have got a job to do for the team and I know the expectations from the fans when you’re wearing this club crest.

“It was a proud moment for myself and my family and it was good to get some minutes under my belt too.

“You have got to make an impact straight away – I need to gain that fitness back and then I’ll be raring to go soon.

“It has been good. It’s been a little bit tough to start with as the boys are a few weeks ahead of me so it’s been a bit hundred miles an hour to start with, but I’m slowly getting into things.

“All the boys need to get up to speed fitness-wise and we look forward to the games – because that’s ultimately where we’re going to get that fitness.

“I’ve only had three sessions this pre-season, so it was good to get minutes today and get my legs ticking over, I look forward to Wednesday (Preston away) and hopefully some more minutes then.

“It (competition) is healthy and it will keep everyone on their toes, you know you can’t rest on your laurels here, you could be in one game but the next you could be out. Everyone knows they’ve got to fight for their place.

“It raises everyone’s games, not just for myself but the other boys in my position, and it’s competition I look forward to having.

“I just want to get as many minutes as I can and get some victories in these pre-season games, ideally learn my new teammates’ styles, for them to get to know me a bit better, then hopefully we’ll be raring to go.

“I know I’ve got to put my flag in the sand, but I’m more than capable of doing it, and it’s just a case of taking that chance when it comes.”

Preston 1 Newcastle 1

Saturday 22 July 3pm

Goals:

Newcastle: Mitrovic 8

Preston: Barkhuizen 33

Newcastle United:

Elliot (Darlow 46 (Woodman 70)), Dummett (Clark 46), Mbemba, Lejeune (Manquillo 76), Hanley (Yedlin 46), Shelvey (Hayden 46), Diame (Colback 46), De Jong (Roberts 62), Aarons (Murphy 46), Atsu (Perez 46), Mitrovic (Gayle 46)

Crowd: 7,380 (approx 3,000 Newcastle)

Referee: Jon Moss

Share

If you would like to feature on The Mag, submit your article to contribute@themag.co.uk

Have your say

© 2024 The Mag. All Rights Reserved. Design & Build by Mediaworks