'I loved it' - Ex-Rangers and Brighton winger Jamie Murphy on Sheffield United enjoyment and desire to return
Jamie Murphy reflects on his time at Sheffield United - and his desire to return
Jamie Murphy has hailed the second and third seasons of his time at Sheffield United as his favourite career chapter.
The 36-year-old represented Sheffield United between 2013 and 2015, registering 21 goals and 22 assists over the course of 122 appearances.
A direct winger, Murphy started slowly in South Yorkshire after joining from Motherwell in January 2013. However, he burst into life to enjoy stellar 2013/14 and 2014/15 League One campaigns.
Jamie Murphy’s love for Sheffield United
He told BBC Radio Sheffield: “Apart from the first four, five, six months, where I struggled a little bit with injuries and I didn’t enjoy it, I’d never really been away from home, I wasn’t quite myself. For the following two years, I loved it.
“It’s probably my favourite spell in my career. Playing there, under Nigel Clough, going out and being able to express myself, and really enjoy moments with the fans, and my teammates as well.
“We were a very close team. Obviously, Sheffield’s nice for a night out or going out for dinner with the boys. I loved my couple of years down here.”
FA Cup run
Murphy was part of the Sheffield United squad that enjoyed a remarkable run to the FA Cup semi-finals in 2014. The Blades eliminated the likes of Aston Villa and Fulham before suffering a 5-3 loss to Hull City at Wembley.
Murphy said: “I think the game at Wembley against Hull, particularly for that squad, that was the first year Nigel came in and it was pretty clear we were struggling to make the play-offs that year. He came in, we were low down in the table. Everything kind of went into that cup run.
“I think we beat Fulham, Aston Villa, both Premier League teams at the time, Charlton, the league above. To then get Hull at Wembley, and at half-time to be 2-1 up, it was like ‘we’ve got a real chance of making the FA Cup final at Wembley here’. And then it kind of, not fell apart in the second half, but they came out with a couple of quickfire goals and managed to get a goal later on. Stephen Quinn obviously scored to make it 4-3. That’s the one that really sticks out in my head.”
Desire for Sheffield United return
Brighton & Hove Albion prised Murphy from Bramall Lane in 2015 and he later went on to represent the likes of Rangers, Hibernian and the Scotland national team. He is still going strong at 36, on the books of Scottish Championship outfit Ayr United.
He said: “I’m still playing as it is, so it’s difficult to get back down [to Sheffield United]. I actually haven’t been back since I left. I was meant to come down for Bash’s (Chris Basham’s) charity game at the end of the season, but we were in the play-offs, so I couldn’t make it.
“It’s something I’m definitely looking to do, come back down, because I loved my time at Sheffield United. In particular, I’d like to bring my daughter, because my daughter was born in Sheffield. She’s never really been back. It’d be something good to show her in the future.”