Daryl Murphy: Why I NEVER knocked on Rafa Benitez's door when I was on fringes at Newcastle

Daryl Murphy's never been a player to knock on his manager's door.
Newcastle United's Daryl Murphy.Newcastle United's Daryl Murphy.
Newcastle United's Daryl Murphy.

Just as well, as Rafa Benitez’s office door would have taken a pounding in the first half of the season.

Murphy, instead, got his head down and trained. Hard.

Now the striker’s knocking in the goals for Newcastle United.

The 33-year-old has scored three goals in three games.

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Such is his importance to Benitez, Murphy could even be rested for this afternoon’s FA Cup tie against Oxford United.

“I am not a player who knocks on the manager’s door when I am not playing,” said Murphy. “I have never done that in my career.

“The way I see it, if the manager wants you to play, then you play. The only thing I can do is train as well as I could and try to catch his eye.

“The manager has talked to me over my time here and has told me to keep going, encouraging me really. I would get my chance.”

Murphy’s break came in the last round of the FA Cup.

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He scored minutes into the club’s third-round tie against Birmingham City at St Andrew’s early this month and followed that goal up with Championship strikes against Brentford and Rotherham United.

“I have scored a few important goals this season,” said Murphy.

“I had to bide my time here and wait for my chance. I was always ready, training as hard as I could to wait for an opportunity.

“When I first signed I knew I wasn’t going to play straight away. It was a challenge for me to try to get into the team and show what I can do.

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“As I said, it was just a case of biding my time and making sure when the chance came around I did well. It’s a long season, especially in the Championship.

“I knew that at some stage I would get my chance. I just had to wait.”

In a summer when Dwight Gayle, Mohamed Diame and Matt Ritchie arrived at St James’s Park, the signing of Murphy wasn’t a big deal.

But it was a big deal for the Waterford-born player, who had a spell in the North East with Sunderland earlier in his career.

“He didn’t have to sell this club to me,” said Murphy.

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“As soon as I knew Newcastle were interested, it was an easy decision.

“No manager can guarantee that you will play every week, and I knew that was the case with the quality of the players coming here. It was a challenge.

“Thankfully, over the last few weeks I have a chance, and hopefully I have taken it.

“I was always confident of making an impact.

“I have been in the Championship long enough, I have scored goals in this league and I know what I can bring to this team. Thankfully I got a chance.”

Murphy’s the oldest player in Benitez’s squad.

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With age comes experience, and Murphy knew his chance would come.

Murphy said: “It is just a case of me getting my head down here. I have lots of experience in this league, and I know how tough it is and that the games come thick and fast.

“You need a big squad and we have that here.

“I am just one of a lot of players the manager can call on to do a job. I think it is important to have experience in his squad.

“If you look around most of the squads up there, there are experienced players in the squads. This one is a pretty young squad, and I am probably the oldest. “All the lads are brilliant. I have been there and done it in this league. Hopefully, I can bring more of that to the team.”

Murphy signed a two-year deal at the club.

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“First and foremost it was about getting a chance and helping Newcastle win promotion,” he said. “That was the main aim, still is.

“If we do, we’ll see what happens then. Of course I’d like to stay. I have got another year, so we’ll see.”