After their January transfer activity, Bristol City will add three new players to their roster this summer.
Technical director Brian Tinnion of Bristol City anticipates that Adam Murphy will push his way into the starting lineup this summer. Since joining the team from Ireland, the Robins have taken their time and given the young midfielder extra attention.
Murphy left St Patrick’s Athletic in January, but it wasn’t until the 2023–24 Championship campaign was over, in May, that he made two appearances for the Under-21s.
When the 18-year-old arrived in the West Country, he was placed on a particular training regimen similar to a pre-season. Tinnion mentioned in an interview with the Bristol City Forever podcast that the Republic of Ireland U21 international had a few nagging injury concerns that needed to be resolved.
Later in the season, Murphy was road-tested with the Young Robins against Fleetwood Town and Charlton Athletic after being progressively promoted up the age divisions and training with the first team.
His debut was an impressive cameo at the conclusion of a 4-2 victory. He then showed off his skill as he was ready to join the senior group for pre-season later this month with an incredible long-range shot that soared into the net in front of the Atyeo Stand.
Although it is difficult to replace the experience of Matty James and Andy King, City has added Max Bird from Derby County and possibly Murphy in a senior capacity to bolster the talent in the position. However, the club has lost two senior central midfield players this summer as their contracts expired.
Bird and Murphy will compete for a spot at the base of the Robins midfield with Joe Williams, who has signed a new three-year contract, Jason Knight, and Taylor Gardner-Hickman.
Murphy was handled extremely carefully when he arrived from Ireland. He spent a lot of time in the gym and with the sports science department because he had some tendon problems in his knee, Tinnion told FBC. “We prepared him well for this preseason,”
“After doing some light training with the 18s, Ali (Hines, senior performance pathway manager) and the team were really impressed. He then participated in a few games, which was excellent, and the staff was all, ‘Wow, what a player.'”
“He spent the final week to ten days of the season training with the first team, so I’m fully expecting Murphy to go in, make an immediate impression, and really push our midfield guys. We’re quite thrilled about him because he’s energetic, dynamic, and capable of playing and scoring goals in the box.
Josh Stokes, who was loaned back to Aldershot for the rest of the 2023–24 National League season, will join Murphy and Bird in January as he gets ready to make the transition from student to full-time City player.
When the Shots didn’t have a midweek game, the forward trained with his new teammates. According to Tinnion, he made a lasting impression on some people at the High Performance Centre.
“It’s really nice from a good senior pro like Rob Dickie to say that, but Rob doesn’t say too much,” Tinnion continued. “I was in the restaurant one day and Rob said, ‘Brian, I’m really looking forward to seeing Stokes next season, he’s been really impressive in training.”
Stokes can play as a second striker, in the No. 10 position, or either side of a centre forward, which seems to meet the City brief of being tactically adaptable and able to fill a number of positions. Tinnion has also hinted that the 20-year-old might develop into a legitimate No. 9.
Although there are clear stylistic differences and no two players are same, Stokes might be able to fill the vacuum left by Andi Weimann, who filled a variety of roles in the last part of the game, if Murphy and Bird are seen as James and King’s successors.
Like Murphy, the former Ipswich academy product is prepared to test himself at this level. Unlike some of the players moving through the system, he isn’t being considered for a loan because he has already completed that portion of his development in a men’s football environment at AFC Sudbury and Aldershot.
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