'Brilliant' 20-year-old will join up with Newcastle United this summer after January loan & recall claim

The 20-year-old joined the League One club in January on a half-season loan but was dealt an early blow as Bolton manager Ian Evatt was sacked just days after signing the Newcastle defender. Murphy was an unused substitute for his first two matches after joining but has since established himself as a regular in The Trotters side at left-back.

The Republic of Ireland Under-21s international made his Premier League debut for Newcastle last season and trained regularly with the first team prior to being sent out on loan for regular first-team experience. The youngster arrived at Newcastle in 2022 with senior football experience under his belt having played regularly for Galway United as a teenager.

He has regularly featured at left-back since moving to England but is also capable of playing in the left centre-back role, an area of the squad Newcastle are currently looking for cover in after losing Sven Botman to injury and loaning Lloyd Kelly out to Juventus.

Alex Murphy given ‘brilliant’ endorsement from Bolton boss

Dan Burn is Newcastle’s only fit and available left-sided centre-back as things stand as Eddie Howe’s side head into a crucial run of games. But The Magpies won’t recall Murphy, who is progressing nicely out on loan at Bolton

Following Bolton’s 2-1 win at Burton Albion on Saturday, new manager Steven Schumacher highlighted Murphy’s performance coming back into the side at left-back.

“George [Johnston] was going to play but Alex stepped in and I thought he was brilliant,” Schumacher said. “Like I say, he wasn’t going to start for us but when we knew George had picked up the injury he had to step in right at the very end.

“He had done the match prep but not the 11 v 11 stuff yet in training, but I thought he was great. He was brilliant, he slotted into that left-hand side centre-back role, which was perfect for him because he is a bombing, running-forward, full-back really.”

Alex Murphy set to be handed first-team opportunities in pre-season

Murphy is also highly rated back on Tyneside and will rejoin Newcastle this summer and link-up with the first team for pre-season where he will be assessed further. The Magpies are expected to strenthen defensively in the summer but the club’s ageing back line and contract uncertainty could see an opening for Murphy in the first-team squad.

Speaking ahead of his move to Bolton, Murphy said: “I want to play as many senior minutes as I can, whether that is here or somewhere else for the year.

“I want to get as many games under my belt as possible and then, hopefully, the aim is to play here [at Newcastle] every week.

“I want to show what I can do in men's football and I feel I am at that stage to do that. A year or two ago, I wanted the same thing but I then got called up into Newcastle's first team and you didn't care about that because you were getting that experience here and training with the squad.

“I'm at the point where I need to go out and play every week, showing what I can do, but we'll see what happens.”

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