EVEN MORE SUNSHINE THAN LEITH! I came off the plane wondering if giraffes would be walking about
How Simon Murray swapped Hibs for a new life in South Africa
GIVEN that he scored ten times in seven appearances for Hibs at the start of last season, Simon Murray can certainly be described as a young man who is adept at taking chances.
The same maxim applies equally as much to the 26-year-old’s general approach to life as his predatory instincts in a penalty box.
Who could have foreseen, for example, when he played for the Easter Road side in a 6-1 thumping of Faroese side NSI Runavik earlier this season, that, just a short time later, he would be embarking on a whole new way of life with Bidvest Wits FC in Johannesburg?
Spying an opportunity and taking it has been part and parcel of Murray’s career to date.
A plumber to trade, the Dundonian’s formative years saw him deal with U-bends on building sites during the week while driving defenders in Tayside’s junior leagues around them come Saturday.
It took him until the age of 22, via staging posts with Montrose and Arbroath, for his footballing skills to get the wider audience they deserved in the shape of a run in Dundee United’s first team. Every day felt like Christmas.
‘I worked for the family company in Dundee,’ he recalled. ‘My stepfather was the boss, so I did an apprenticeship through them.
‘You definitely appreciate all you’ve got when you come from a working background. Everyone does things their own way. I’m proud of the way I’ve done it.
‘It’s probably a harder way to come through but it’s worked for me.
‘I enjoyed it but I enjoy being in Johannesburg better. Hopefully, this lasts.’
So, how did the South African excursion come about? Typical of Murray, it has been a long and winding road.
Seventeen goals for a struggling United side in the Championship were enough to convince Neil Lennon that Murray had the wherewithal to cut it for his newly promoted Hibs team in the top division last year.
That early goal blizzard suggested the manager’s judgment was right on the money. But by the turn of the calendar, his return had diminished. Flo Kamberi and Jamie Maclaren were drafted in, with Murray shunted out to Dundee on loan.
Many in his position would have been irked at what happened. Murray, characteristically, just saw another door opening.
‘He wanted to bring in Scott Allan and I was part of the deal,’ he recalled. ‘I just wanted to go out and play games. I knew I’d play more often at Dundee and that’s the way it worked out.’
He returned from Dens Park to Easter Road in the summer and even featured in the 6-1 thumping of NSI Runavik in the Europa League but fate was about to deal him a different hand in the shape of an offer of a contract in South Africa.
‘I just got a call out of the blue from an agent,’ explained Murray. ‘I was asked if I’d be interested in coming across here and that was it.
‘I hadn’t felt it was time to move on from Hibs yet. Neil Lennon was going to give me another chance but he said it was up to me what I wanted to do.
‘So my instinct was to give it a crack. I’m not too bothered about looking back at what happened at Hibs now. I just keep moving on and doing my best. I still look back at my time there believing I did well.’
He arrived in the southern hemisphere with a sense of adventure but also with some pre-conceived notions.
‘I’d been to Australia, America and Thailand on holiday but I’d never been to South Africa before. To be honest, it wasn’t even a place I’d thought about,’ he admitted.
‘I never knew what to expect. I came off the plane wondering if there would be giraffes walking about but it’s nothing like that.
‘It’s such a beautiful country with a lot of stuff to do like going on safari and wine tasting. I’m into golf and the courses here are incredible.
‘The food in the restaurants is unbelievable and so much cheaper than back home.
‘I stay in a place called Melrose Arch, which is one of the nicest parts of Johannesburg. You’ve still got to watch and not go out too late at night and don’t have expensive watches on your wrist.
‘But I’ve not seen any trouble. If you go looking for it you’ll find it, just like you would if you were kicking about Dundee.’
The only kicking he has been doing is for a small but upwardly mobile club who count Gary Bailey and Richard Gough among their alumni.
‘Bidvest Wits are not the biggest club in terms of their support but they get lots of financial backing from the Bidvest company. It’s a bit like the way Red Bull have been buying clubs,’ explained Murray.
‘In their day, they were called Wits University and a lot of students would play for them and support them.
‘We don’t get huge crowds but if you get to a cup final and play one of the bigger teams, there will be 60,000 to 70,000.’
The Clever Boys, as they are affectionately known on account of their origins, have little reason to fear anyone. Presently sitting second in the ABSA Premiership, Murray’s four goals to date have helped raise hopes that a second title in three years can be captured in May.
‘I’ve only started six games and scored four,’ he added. ‘I’m still getting used to the heat and the altitude, so the coach is easing me in.’
Assimilating himself with a dressing room in which he is the only European has been another challenge embraced with customary vigour.
‘It’s mostly South Africans but there are players from Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Congo and Zambia,’ he said.
‘I get on great with them. I think they find me quite funny. They all think Scottish people are mental. Or maybe it’s just me.’
He’s many miles from his old stomping grounds but, in this digital age, all distance is relative.
‘I’ve still been watching a lot of Dundee’s games this season as well as United in the Championship,’ he said.
‘Hopefully, they can come back up and the other team in Dundee can stay up as well. The city needs the derbies back.’
The fact the South African summer is in its infancy (it was 25 degrees when called) means Murray is not yet pining for home. The fact his nearest and dearest is by his side helps to maintain his bright disposition.
‘My girlfriend is here and she’s pregnant at the moment,’ he said. ‘She’s due to have a little boy on April Fools’ Day, would you believe. Hopefully, by that stage, the season is still going well and we’ve got a trophy to show for our efforts.’
He remains open-minded about the future beyond that, saying: ‘I only signed a one-year deal with an option.
‘For all I know, I could have come here and not liked it, so it suited me. But, so far, it’s been great. I can always say I’ve done it now.’
Whatever life holds for him in future, he knows he will never look back over his shoulder with any regrets.
‘Back then, when I was playing Junior football, I probably didn’t think I’d be playing professionally at any level let alone in a foreign country,’ he added. ‘When I started to get some moves, it’s something I wanted to do even though I never thought it would happen.
‘But I’m glad it has. If it doesn’t work out or I’m not enjoying it by the end of the year, I know I can come back to Scotland — hopefully, to a team — and be none the worse for doing it.’