PLAYER PROFILE

Danny Murphy

Position: Midfield

Height: 5'9

Weight: 10st 8lbs

Date of Birth: 1977-03-18 Chester, England

Danny Murphy

Danny Murphy joined Liverpool from traditional feeder club, Crewe, in the summer of 1997 for £2million, and was hailed as one of the most exciting young players in the English game after taking a starring role alongside Michael Owen in the World Youth Championships.

Unfortunately for Murphy, the reality was that he struggled to win a place in the Liverpool first team amidst their array of talented stars and there was speculation that he would leave the club for pastures new in search of first team action.

However, he stayed and became an important part of Liverpool's midfield, getting winning goals at Old Trafford for two seasons in a row, which will cement his place in Liverpool folklore for decades.

He was called up to the England squad for the 2002 World Cup after injury to club-mate Steven Gerrard, however his joy was short-lived when he succumbed to the dreaded "metatarsal" injury that had also cursed David Beckham and Gary Neville in the run-up to the tournament.

Murphy really came into his own during the 2002/03 campaign, anxious to make up for the heartbreak of missing the World Cup, he was one of Liverpool's most consistent performers, netting twelve times.

The player himself admits that things didn't go as well the following season, as he struggled with inconsistency. However he found his feet by the end of the campaign, and continued to score some crucial goals. He was ever present in the side throughout the 2003/04 season, but, following the arrival of new manager Rafael Benitez, Murphy was told that he would be better off finding a new club.

With permission, Murphy then set about finding himself a new club, with Tottenham favourites to sign the England man. That fell through when manager Jacques Santini also failed to guarantee Murphy first team football, and he opted for a move to Charlton, and signed a £2.5million deal in August 2004.

At Charlton, , he initially took some time to settle, but was really showing his quality by the start of the 2005/06 campaign, renewing calls for him to be called up to the England squad again.

In January 2006, Tottenham Hotspur came calling again for him, and this time he did move to White Hart Lane for a fee of around £2m.

He made a handful of appearances during the tail-end of the 05/06 season and again appeared sporadically in 2006/07. He remains an important utility man for Martin Jol.