Newcastle United - what is success this season?
Newcastle United latest news: Jacob Murphy continues to impress current and former teammates alike.
Jacob Murphy has again been picked in a ‘Best XI’ by a player he has played alongside, just days after Sandro Tonali picked him in an all-time teammates XI.
The Italian midfielder has played alongside some of the most iconic names in world football, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Rafael Leao namedropped by Tonali. Murphy’s inclusion, alongside fellow Magpies teammates Bruno Guimaraes and Kieran Trippier, shows just how impactful the former Norwich City man has been, particularly during Tonali’s time at St James’ Park.
The omission of Alexander Isak from Tonali’s team was notable, particularly as a lot of Murphy’s goals and assists over the last season and a half came alongside the Swedish international. Murphy registered nine goals and 14 assists in all competitions last campaign and has five goal contributions so far this season.
It may have taken some time for the 30-year-old to become a regular at St James’ Park, but for one of his former teammates, that doesn’t come as a big surprise.
Sheffield Wednesday man praises ‘unplayable’ Jacob Murphy
As domestic football takes a back seat due to the international break, Sheffield Wednesday’s media team produced a video in which defender Dominic Iorfa was asked for his all-time Sheffield Wednesday XI. The former Wolves man has spent over six years at Hillsborough and despite playing alongside Murphy for just one of those seasons, coming all the way back in 2019/20, it’s clear that the Magpies man made a great impact on his former teammate.
“This was tough as well because there was a few to choose from,” Iorfa said to Sheffield Wednesday’s YouTube channel. “Although I only had a short stint with him - I only played with him for one season - I have gone with Jacob Murphy.
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“He came on loan and in the first half of the season, and he would probably say this himself, he didn’t really hit the heights he wanted to, struggling a little bit. But in the second half of the season he showed his quality and was unplayable.
“In terms of how he was in the second half of the season, it was unbelievable, to be fair, and you can see how he is doing now in the Premier League. It is no surprise because that was how he was performing for us here in that second half of the season.
“He is such an athlete, he has quality, he works really hard, his crossing was really good and he was another guy who was really good to have around the dressing room as well.”
Murphy, whose form has seen him be tipped to receive a first-ever senior international call-up, has spent the international break back on Tyneside with his club teammates as they prepare for their return to action. Newcastle United face Manchester City on Saturday 22 November (5:30pm kick-off).
The Magpies then travel to France for a Champions League clash against Roberto De Zerbi’s Marseille before returning to England to face Everton in their first trip to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
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