Ipswich signed Daryl Murphy for free from Celtic and then sold him to Newcastle for a large profit.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Murphy was one of the best Ipswich players in the 2010s, especially during the 14/15 playoff season.
- After successful loan spells, Ipswich signed Murphy on a free transfer, later selling him for a profit.
- Murphy’s 27-goal season helped Ipswich to the playoffs, but he was eventually sold to Newcastle for a good fee.
Daryl Murphy was a standout player for Ipswich Town during their Championship era in the 2010s.
Mick McCarthy, who was in charge of Portman Road from November 2012 to April 2018, oversaw the Tractor Boys for the majority of that time.
Ipswich would finish in the top half of the table in four of his six seasons at the club. In 2014/15, they finished sixth and advanced to the play-offs, but were ultimately defeated by their main rivals, Norwich City, over two legs.
However, Murphy was McCarthy’s main man that season, and Ipswich profited handsomely from him.
Murphy signed for Ipswich on a free after successful loans
Murphy spent the second half of the 2009/10 season on loan at Ipswich from Sunderland before joining the club.
It led to his permanent transfer from the Black Cats to Scottish giants Celtic. His time at Celtic Park did not begin as expected, and he was loaned back to Ipswich after only one season north of the border.
Murphy would spend the 2011/12 and 2012/13 seasons on loan at Ipswich, but he was not particularly prolific, scoring only 11 goals in those two seasons.
But that didn’t stop Ipswich from making his move permanent, signing him on a free transfer after his Celtic contract expired in the summer of 2013.
Murphy was sold on for profit by Ipswich after a heap of goals
Murphy discovered his shooting boots after making a permanent move to East Anglia.
He scored 13 goals in 45 games during the 2013/14 season, forming a great partnership with David McGoldrick, who combined for 29 goals.
Murphy’s best season of his career, however, came in the 2014/15 season, during the play-off campaign, when he scored 27 goals and assisted six others.
In December, he scored six goals and won the Championship Player of the Month award.
His two goals in a 2-1 victory over Fulham made him the first Ipswich player to reach 20 league goals in a season since Darren Bent in 2005.
Despite failing to make the playoffs, he was named to the PFA Championship Team of the Year. Murphy signed a two-year contract extension with the club, indicating his commitment to the team.
Murphy’s 2015/16 season was less prolific, with only ten goals in 35 league games as they narrowly missed out on back-to-back top-six finishes, finishing seventh, five points behind.
| Daryl Murphy’s Ipswich stats (league only, as per FotMob) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Division | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 16/17 | Championship | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 15/16 | Championship | 35 | 10 | 4 |
| 14/15 | Championship | 48 | 27 | 6 |
| 13/14 | Championship | 46 | 13 | 0 |
| 12/13 | Championship | 40 | 7 | 0 |
| 11/12 | Championship | 34 | 4 | 3 |
| 09/10 | Championship | 18 | 6 | 1 |
Murphy sold to relegated Newcastle United for £3 million, leaving the club that helped him advance in his career.
That represented a nice profit on a free transfer, but it got even better when Newcastle was promoted back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
The club’s decision to make a profit of £4 million for Murphy, who was 33 at the time, was excellent business.
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