I feared Ibrox deal was off, says Murphy

JAMIE MURPHY admits he feared his dream move to Rangers might not get off the ground when the rest of the squad flew to Florida without him. But the 28-year-old winger is now focused on long-term success with the Ibrox club ahead of a potential debut tomorrow evening. Having undergone a medical, Murphy’s switch from Brighton hit a snag when the English Premier

League club shifted the terms on a previously agreed schedule of payments. The former Motherwell player couldn’t board the flight to America last Saturday morning, but arrived at the winter training camp 24 hours later after the deal was restructured. Murphy has signed on loan until the end of the season, at which point Rangers have a guaranteed option to conclude a permanent deal. Reflecting on that drama, he said: ‘There was a little bit where I thought it might not happen. ‘By Saturday afternoon, I knew it was going to happen and I was just happy to get on the plane. ‘I had spoken to (Brighton manager) Chris Hughton about Rangers before. He knew how big a fan I was because he had seen me sitting watching Rangers games on the television before Brighton matches. ‘It is a guaranteed permanent transfer and I am a Rangers player as far as I am concerned.’ Murphy is expected to be part of Graeme Murty’s plans for tomorrow evening’s Florida Cup match against Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro. Meanwhile, Rangers have confirmed Carlos Pena’s 12-month loan deal with Cruz Azul, with the Mexican international last night insisting he was a success at Ibrox despite lasting just six months following his £2million move. ‘I played 12 games for Rangers, but I consider that only as ten because, in the last couple of games, I only played for a few minutes,’ said the 27-year-old. ‘I scored five goals. I think I can be satisfied with those figures. ‘I don’t view my time in Scotland as a setback to my career. I have matured as a man and as a player.’ Cruz Azul sporting director Eduardo de la Torre, however, claimed Pena is earning nowhere near his reported Ibrox salary of up to £24,000 a week. ‘Carlos is here for a one-year loan contract. We do have an option to buy him at the end of that,’ he said. ‘I have no idea if he will be the highestpaid player in the league, but I can tell you the figures that have been mentioned are totally inaccurate. We are respecting the contract he had at Rangers, but the figures remain private.’ Meanwhile, Rangers have brought two ex-players back as academy coaches, with Kevin Thomson and Gregory Vignal working between Under-13 and Under-15 level. They have also appointed ex-Wolves coach Stuart Taylor to fill the gap in the development squad left by Murty.