Murphy’s heart is set on extending stay with heroes
THE paperwork may state that he belongs to Brighton and Hove Albion but in Jamie Murphy’s head he is already a fully-fledged Rangers player. Murphy signed on loan with his boyhood favourites in January but fully expects a permanent deal to be completed during the close season.
‘Absolutely,’ he said. ‘I’m already a Rangers player in my mind.’
Murphy agreed a three-anda-half-year contract after the two clubs negotiated terms on a £1million-plus deal during the mid-season transfer window. The move became complicated when Brighton’s legal team insisted on a credit check.
The English side then confirmed they expected the move to be completed in the summer and Murphy insists he has given no thought to the possibility of returning to the south coast.
The former Motherwell winger has been a productive acquisition for Graeme Murty, scoring three times while establishing himself as a valuable attacking outlet on the left side of the pitch.
Brighton’s promotion to the Premier League had left him on the periphery of Chris Hughton’s squad and he has enjoyed the rhythm of playing regularly again.
‘I’m loving it here,’ he added. ‘In my first season with Brighton, I played most weeks but that didn’t happen this season and it got frustrating.
‘I love playing football. I don’t come into work at training to then sit and watch the game — which was happening.
‘To come here, play every week, get goals and be involved in front of the crowd has been great.’
Murphy always wanted to play for Rangers but his journey to Ibrox has been a slow burner. The same could be said for his quest for a Scotland cap.
Although a regular for the Under-21 side during his time at Motherwell, and an occasional squad pick under Gordon Strachan, he remains uncapped.
That could change on Friday night as Alex McLeish ushers in a new era for the national team with a friendly against Costa Rica.
Murphy has been named in a fresh-looking pool and, if selected, he insists he will appreciate his debut all the more for the wait.
‘I’ve always wanted a cap,’ he said. ‘I think I’ve done a lot in my career but trying to get that first cap has always driven me on.
‘It’s something that has pushed me on and is still pushing me on. I’ve been in a couple of squads but never managed to get on, so I’m looking forward to it.’
Murphy takes a similar view to his arrival at Rangers. He grew up watching the club horde trophies but has signed on at Ibrox during a period of recovery from the financial implosion that forced a complete reboot.
He knows he will not achieve Nine in a Row but he does sense an opportunity to help write some history by making Rangers a trophy-winning team again.
‘I thought about playing for Rangers a lot growing up,’ he added. ‘I grew up about 15 minutes from the training ground and I had a room full of photos.
‘The Nine-in-a-Row team were my heroes growing up, players like Brian Laudrup, Gazza (Paul Gascoigne) and Gordon Durie.
‘It’s up to us to win leagues and cups, and be the next generation. You want to be remembered.’
The Scottish Cup represents Rangers’ best chance of lifting a trophy this season. Last weekend’s 3-2 defeat to Celtic at Ibrox effectively killed off the prospect of a title race but the teams will meet in a Hampden semifinal next month and Murphy can’t wait for a chance to turn the tables.
‘It’s hard to take positives from an Old Firm defeat but we have to look at the game, what we did well and keep doing those things,’ he noted. ‘The last thing we want is plaudits for a loss. That’s not why we’re here. We are here to win and to establish a winning culture.
‘We need to learn from what happened and improve on things. But there were positives. It was good to learn from it. Especially as we play them again, twice.’
Had he hung around at Brighton, Murphy might have been involved in an FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester United but is adamant the prospect of facing Celtic in the Scottish Cup dwarves anything he could have experienced with his parent club, declaring: ‘That’s not in question. Playing Kilmarnock is a bigger game!’