MURRAY’S MINT JOB
Mansfield Town hand captain Adam Murray his managerial chance at 33
ADAM MURRAY has become the youngest manager in the Football League after landing the Mansfield job on a permanent basis – and he is now looking to write his name even deeper into the Stags’ folklore.
Murray is three months younger than current Oldham boss Lee Johnson, making the 33-year-old the youngest man in the technical areas of the top four divisions of English football.
In his fourth spell at the Nottinghamshire club, the man known as Muzza led the Stags to the Conference title as captain in 2013.
He became assistant-manager in 2012 and had been caretaker boss f or the past two weeks following Paul Cox’s departure.
And after guiding the club through a tricky FA Cup tie against Vanarama Conference South side Concord Rangers, Murray was appointed to the full-time position on Friday.
The club sit in 18th in League Two with Murray’s first ‘official’ game in charge being yesterday’s FA Cup tie at Cambridge. Applying for the job didn’t come as an easy decision, though, for the midfielder. He said: “The coaching pathway is something I’ve been on for a number of years. It took a lot of thinking but I felt it was the right time and the right opportunity to take that step.
“It’s been a crazy couple of weeks. We’ve changed a lot of things at the club – the team shape, the training, the way we play. Virtually everything has changed, so it has been a big transition for the boys.
“We need to start getting some performances in. The biggest thing is that the team start taking our philosophy out onto the pitch and then the results will come.
Athletes
“I know I’m no spring chicken and I look at the game now and it’s full of young athletes. My most important focus has to be that the team is right.
“Once I feel the team is in the right place in terms of roles I will look at myself and see what opportunities are there for me to get back playing.”
Murray has spent the majority of his career in the Football League having start- ed out at Derby County in 1998. He scored in the 2006 Football League Trophy final which his Carlisle side lost to Swansea, and it’s this type of experience that Murray will aim to utilise.
He added: “I think I’ve been given the job based on my ability. I’ve had 17 years as a professional player, amassed over 500 appearances and managed to get five promotions.
“Over those years I’ve made a number of friends and a number of contacts in the game from the bottom of the Pyramid all the way up to the top.
“I’ve got people who have given me great information over my career.
“Having been in a coaching capacity for a few years, I do have a different view on things to a lot of the team. The last two weeks have opened my eyes, though.”