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Jacob Murphy has opened up about his formative years in Wembley - and vowed Newcastle United can win the Carabao Cup.
The Toon winger was born and raised in the capital until age 11 when the family moved to Norfolk. A unique story, however, makes Murphy a lifelong Newcastle fan.
His dad, John, is from Ashington while his mother, Maxine, was born in Birtley. Murphy is the closest Newcastle have come to a Wembley success story - but that could change today.
The 30-year-old will return to his hometown with his boyhood club aiming to end the Magpies’ 70-year wait without domestic silverware. Speaking before the clash, Murphy reflected on life as a Wembley native.
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“I grew up in London for the first 11 years of my life,” he told Sky Sports. “Me, my brother and the rest of my family. You could see the new stadium as it was being built. When the arch rose and stuff, we saw that from our back garden. It was one of them where it was like ‘Oh, one day it will be great to play there’.
“I now have a second opportunity to touch the turf of Wembley Stadium. It’s always nice, when you drive in to say ‘Ah, that is the street where I lived’. It’s always a trip down memory lane and it’s nice to be back. It’s special.”
A less-travelled path has seen Murphy endure two spells out on loan and, at one point, his Newcastle prospects looked slim. But his transformation under Eddie Howe has resulted in the wideman nailing down United’s right flank.
Murphy has insisted he would not change his journey at St James’ Park and is more prepared than ever to deliver Carabao Cup success. He added: “This is my eighth season of being in the trenches with this club. It’s been a journey.
“We are in much more successful times and my journey has been very up and down a long the way. But that’s what makes a journey a journey, right? To play in another final, with the build-up and the buzz…
“The fans are excited for this one. We feel better prepared this time around to really get our hands on that cup. We’re good enough to do it. We’re confident that we can put on another show. If we can generate that home-stadium environment, that will give us a feel-good factor on the pitch.”