Alex Murphy

Key strength: Pace and recovery

Overlapping full-back

At 21 years old and with just a single senior appearance to his name, Alex Murphy finds himself at a fascinating crossroads in his Newcastle United career. While the Magpies navigate a mid-table Premier League campaign sitting 11th, Murphy watches from the periphery—a young Irish left-back whose €300,000 valuation and contract through 2028 signal genuine long-term belief from the club. Murphy's solitary 90-minute outing this season hints at the steep competition ahead. Eddie Howe's system demands overlapping, attack-minded full-backs, and Murphy profiles perfectly: blessed with pace, recovery speed, and the physical attributes to thrive in the modern game. Yet with seasoned defenders ahead of him and teammates like Malick Thiaw and Emil Krafth established in the defensive ranks, opportunities remain scarce. The waiting game continues for Murphy. One appearance, zero goals, zero assists—the statistics tell only part of the story. Howe has invested in the player until 2028 for a reason. When injuries strike or rotation becomes necessary, Murphy will be ready to prove why Newcastle identified him as a future first-team solution rather than just another squad player.