How Jacob Murphy became Tyneside's hero under Eddie Howe

Jacob Murphy is having a stellar month of December, starting every game for Newcastle United as their right winger, and rewarding Eddie Howe’s decision to play him with three goals and four assists in his last four games. However, Murphy was not always a favourite around St. James Park, and if you had told a Toon fan that he would go on to play Champions League football for the club back when they were battling relegation under Steve Bruce, they would not have believed you.

A brace for Jacob Murphy! 💥 pic.twitter.com/hQKBfXSeIH
— Newcastle United (@NUFC) December 14, 2024

Early Norwich years

Often known for having a twin brother who also plays football, Josh and Jacob Murphy became the second set of twins to face off in the Premier League in 2018. Born in London, the pair moved to the small town of Downham Market in Norfolk aged 11. Like most Norfolk kids do, they began playing in Norwich’s academy, the club where they both would stay for over a decade. Jacob Murphy would play 42 times for the Canaries, 37 of those appearances came in the 16/17 Championship season when he was a key player scoring eight and assisting eight. After an eye-catching season, Premier League clubs began asking after his signature.

Signing for his boyhood club

When Newcastle gained promotion back to the Premier League in 2017, Murphy became Rafa Benitez’s most expensive signing yet. It took a fee of £12 million to prize the twins apart, and at first, it seemed like destiny to go and play in the city both his parents were from, but the step up from the second to first tier seemed too much at first. Murphy scored once in his first season in Tyneside after making almost 30 appearances. 17/18 was a mediocre season for Newcastle, who found themselves in the relegation zone in December, but an uptick in form in the second half of the campaign saw them to 44 points and safety.

🤩 Former #NCFC player Jacob Murphy in the Champions League!

Just look at his face! 💚

pic.twitter.com/r2iEDVQedo
— Talk Norwich City (@TalkNorwichCity) September 19, 2023

To highlight how much Newcastle have evolved, in his first season at the club the top scorers were Ayoze Perez, Dwight Gayle and Joselu. After dropping out of the first team picture, loans to West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield Wednesday across the whole of 2019 and half of 2020 were needed in an attempt to reignite his career back in the Championship. Almost three years later, Murphy would finally score in the Premier League again in October 2020.

After his return to St. James Park in the 20/21 season, he continued to underperform scoring just two goals from the wing, but that was an ongoing theme across Newcastle’s squad. The 21/22 season was more of the same with Newcastle failing to win a Premier League game until December, however, their fortune, along with Murphy’s would soon change with the introduction of new owners and Eddie Howe.

Identical twins Jacob and Josh Murphy on opposing sides at Cardiff City Stadium tonight.#OptusSport #PremierLeague #CARNEW pic.twitter.com/LrZy7WZlF4
— Optus Sport (@OptusSport) August 18, 2018

New horizons and Champions League football

Murphy could widely be seen as one of the biggest beneficiaries of Newcastle’s takeover, a player who had never lit up St. James Park previously was now a useful squad player in a team challenging for the Champions League. A six-goal contribution 22/23 campaign was followed by 11-goal contributions last season.

Last season was also historic for Murphy as he made his Champions League debut at the age of 28. A unique journey that had taken him on loan spells to Swindon, Scunthorpe and Southend, the winger is a true product of the EFL and an example of how a player can turn his career around without having to transfer away from a club. Murphy started in Newcastle’s 0-0 draw away against AC Milan at the San Siro, and went on to pick up an assist in the Toon’s 4-1 win against PSG. This season he already has nine Premier League goal contributions and is third in the league’s assist charts (with six) behind Bukayo Saka and Mo Salah.

Jacob Murphy now has 6 assists, making him the 3rd top assister in the Premier League. Only Mo Salah and Bukayo Saka have more.

Not bad. 📈 pic.twitter.com/sAmqTNRFmB
— Sanjay (@nufcsanjay) December 26, 2024

Currently, Newcastle’s starting right-winger, Murphy is outperforming his club’s summer target Yankuba Minteh, and always seems to prove that he does not need replacing. As a supporter of the club himself due to his parents, he plays with fighting passion all over the pitch. It is one of his most creative seasons yet with 3.69 shot-creating actions per 90 he also has 3.26 progressive carries per 90, a serious contender for December’s Premier League player of the month.

Jacob Murphy's 2024/25 season compared to other selected #EPL right wingers...#nufc #hwtl pic.twitter.com/7g3YbTDE1a
— Jamie Orrell (@jamieorrell) December 23, 2024

The player he is now

When watching Murphy play you can see how well-built he is for counter-attacking football, constantly making sprints on the right flank, if he is found in space a chance is often created. Not afraid to shoot either he compliments Anthony Gordon on the opposing wing in a squad where only Alexander Isak outdoes him in goal contributions.

Now nearing 200 appearances for Newcastle, Murphy’s personality and dedication to his club make him a fan favourite. This is perhaps one of the biggest indicators as to why he is one of the only survivors from the Saudi upheaval. With a great sense of humour and an eye for a spectacular strike from time to time, Murphy is an unlikely hero in the North East and nowadays a key part of Howe’s Newcastle engine.