Why Newcastle United’s £3m bet on Ipswich Town star paid off big | OneFootball

Newcastle United made a smart move for the then-33-year-old striker

Newcastle United arrived back in the Championship disheartened following the 2015/16 campaign, which had seen them relegated from the Premier League.

A far cry from the Saudi Arabia-owned outfit of today, the Magpies were still under Mike Ashley’s rule in 2016 and had once again seen their top-flight status slide away.

There were reasons to feel optimistic at St. James’ Park, however. Champions League-winning manager Rafa Benitez was in charge of taking them back to the first division, and they had ended the previous campaign by thumping title pretenders Tottenham Hotspur 5-1 on the final day of the season.

Newcastle United spent over £50 million in the summer of 2016 to best prepare themselves for a promotion push, recruiting the likes of Matt Ritchie, Dwight Gayle and Ciaran Clark.

There was one shrewd piece of business the Magpies completed in particular which paid dividends come May, that didn’t catch the hearts and minds of the Newcastle faithful to begin with.

Daryl Murphy signing was an important piece of business for Newcastle United

A 33-year-old striker operating out of Portman Road wouldn’t have been predicted as an ideal signing for the Magpies by many people following their relegation, however that is exactly what happened when Daryl Murphy swapped Ipswich Town for Newcastle United in the summer of 2016.

For an initial £3 million, Benitez had a striker who’d netted 50 league goals in 25 appearances across his last three full seasons in Suffolk.

Injury woes forced Murphy to spend the first three months of the season on Tyneside sidelined, but when he returned to full fitness, the big striker played an important role for the North East outfit.

His commitment in training impressed those around the club, who could see the sheer determination he possessed to help Newcastle in their promotion bid.

The aforementioned Gayle had been the Magpies’ main focal point in attack during the early stages of the season but struggled with injuries during the latter portions of the campaign.

This allowed Murphy to enter the side in the second half of the campaign, and his experience of the division shone through, with the forward’s maturity seeping into other areas of the team to make sure they got over the line.

Despite rarely completing 90 minutes, Murphy scored five goals and provided a single assist in 15 Championship appearances, playing his role as Newcastle clinched the title on the last day of the season, having secured promotion a couple of games prior.

Newcastle United supporters will always remember Daryl Murphy fondly for his brief Magpies impact

Despite playing an important role for the Magpies during the latter stages of their promotion charge, Murphy wasn’t deemed a necessary part of Benitez’s squad upon their return to the glitz and glamour of the Premier League.

Nottingham Forest went on to acquire the striker on a permanent deal, which is where he would spend the next two seasons, scoring 11 Championship goals in that time.

On the whole, Murphy played a relatively little part in Newcastle’s success, but it was crucially important all the same.

His experience and know-how paid dividends in the dressing room, allowing other operators to perform at their best level during tough moments in the season.

Perhaps if Newcastle United hadn’t secured promotion from the second-tier that year, the chain of events that has led to them becoming regular contenders in European football wouldn’t have been the same, never mind ending their 56-year trophy drought with EFL Cup success.

Therefore, Murphy’s contribution to the cause will always be remembered fondly by the Magpies’ faithful and he will forever be a welcome face at St. James’ Park.