Newcastle United winger Jacob Murphy has been in fine form this season.
Murphy may not be the most fashionable name in the Newcastle squad but his numbers simply cannot be doubted.
The forward has nine assists across all competitions this season. Eight of those have come in the Premier League, with only Mohamed Salah, Bukayo Saka and Antonee Robinson providing more.
Murphy’s partnership with Newcastle star Alexander Isak is the best in the Premier League, with the two having combined for seven goals this season.
Eddie Howe rates Murphy highly and it’s easy to see why. There may be a lot of talk about signing a new right winger at some point but the 29-year-old is certainly proving worth his starting berth right now.
Indeed, it’s not always been easy for the forward since his £12million move from Norwich in the summer of 2017.
Jonjo Shelvey made a joke about Jacob Murphy after watching him train for Newcastle United
Murphy arrived just as Newcastle returned to the Premier League under former manager Rafa Benitez.
Having failed to convince, he spent time out on loan at West Brom and Sheffield Wednesday before rebuilding his career.
According to the Daily Mail, former teammate Jonjo Shelvey made a joke after watching Murphy slip up in a rondo while training immediately after completing his move.
“Ooh, look what £12million gets you these days”, he’s reported to have said.
Murphy, to his credit, is said to have laughed in response.
Jacob Murphy’s Newcastle stats this season are impressive
Murphy has also chipped in with three goals this season, making it 11 goal involvements for Newcastle.
At some point, a new right winger may be signed but that does not mean Murphy should lose his place entirely. Producing those kind of numbers, he clearly has a role to play.
Isak has described Murphy as “selfless” and his numbers even aside from goals and assists are worth mentioning.
| Team rank | Metric | Average (per game) |
| 5 | Shots | 1.4 |
| 5 | Key passes | 1.4 |
The winger also ranks within Newcastle’s top five players this season for shots and key passes per game this season too.
Franky, the £12million paid for him now looks a genuine bargain.
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