OUT OF TOON RIGHT MOVE FOR MURPHY
WHEN your time is up, it’s up, and for Daryl Murphy he knew there was no point going to war with a manager in the hope of changing his mind through belligerence. Especially when the man in question is Rafael Benitez. The Spaniard made it perfectly clear to the 34-year-old striker that he was not part of his plans in the Premier League this season, and he did so in plenty of time so that the Republic of Ireland international could get his house in order and find a new club with minimal fuss. In fact, Murphy was aware as soon as he signed a two-year contract at St James’ Park ahead of their last Championship season that if they achieved promotion he would be one of those deemed surplus to requirements and pushed towards the exit door. A calf injury prevented him from playing a leading role but he still chipped in with vital goals during the run-in to ensure they bounced straight back as champions. ‘He (Benitez) thanked me for what I have done and said the club were going to listen to a few offers. I said “that’s fine”,’ Murphy admitted before Ireland’s World Cup qualifier with Austria in June. ‘I always knew what I had been brought in there to do and had no illusions that I was going to be starting for Newcastle in the Premier League if we got promoted. While you never know in football, I can’t see that happening the way the club wants to go forward and the money he is going to get to spend on players. I always knew that was going to be the case, but we will see what happens.’ As experienced as Benitez is, though, perhaps he was rather hasty in ushering experience out of the club, especially considering the problems he has encountered signing the players he desired ahead of this season. The money which Murphy spoke about flowing from the St James’ Park coffers has not been forthcoming from owner Mike Ashley. Benitez’ biggest splurge was the £10.17 million on Norwich City’s Jacob Murphy — an apt purchase for those who have made Ashley a billionaire by shopping in his bargain basement store — and they look destined for a season of struggle having started the campaign with a demoralising 2-0 home defeat to Tottenham. None of that is Murphy’s problem now, and while he could have easily hung around at Newcastle and run out the final year of his contract sitting on the bench in the Premier League, he knows that time at a high level is running out. It’s why he opted for a move to Nottingham Forest — historically a far bigger club than Newcastle — and the three-year contract offer to take him up to his 38th year that was too tantalising to turn down. As well as that, the next 12 months could be the most rewarding of a professional career. Now an integral member of Martin O’Neill’s Ireland squad, Murphy will play a key role in ensuring they qualify for Russia. So, no better time for him to hit form and show he can deliver the goods after a troublesome period with a calf injury. Murphy was in the right place in the right time to score against Brentford on Saturday — making it two wins from two for Forest — and O’Neill will be eager for him to maintain that form in the weeks ahead. The Ireland boss will name his provisional squad to face Georgia and Serbia next month in Dublin this afternoon and, while Shane Long started another afternoon on the bench for Southampton, Murphy will be determined to prove that his refusal to settle for a similar situation will have benefits for both club and country. And there may also be a surprise in store in the striker department after Cillian Sheridan netted his fourth goal in five games for Jagiellonia Bialystok in Poland’s top flight. The former Celtic man was last capped in the first international at Aviva Stadium against Argentina seven years ago and must surely be worth a closer look. In Murphy, though, O’Neill has someone he knows exactly what to expect from.