KOA special - Daryl Murphy on Ipswich spell, THAT season and where he is now

25:55Ross Halls:Of course, he's still playing now, which is incredible. He had a lot of injuries with us. I think that drive to Suffolk was always the big talking point. It's great to still see him playing. Brilliant. I was texting there a while ago. I said, surely I have another two years left in the boots. But no, he loves it. Look, he keeps himself in good condition. He works out all the time and does extra bits. And no, I have a delight for him. Yeah. And yeah, obviously that season, we just missed out on the playoffs. And then the 2014-15 season, the Daryl Murphy season, my friend. I know you probably get sick and tired of talking about it because you've probably spoken about it many times.

26:33Ross Halls:But 27 goals, a number of one for you. We're going to talk about different moments tonight. What was your secret? What changed? What happened? I think just working more on finishing with training. We used to do it before. Terry Conner used to take us, the strikers, before we actually started training. Say we started at half ten, we'd be out there warmed up and all by ten o 'clock and actually doing shooting for half an hour before we train. all different types of drills one touch finishes two touch crosses everything he was really good at setting stuff up like that and I think we used to do that nearly most days and I do that now with the young lads what sort of he showed me really and it just makes sense because the more you do it the easier it is when it comes to a game the balls come in the box you know what way you're taking it you know what movements to make you know whether you're going to finish with one touch or two you need two touches and it's just repetitions really and I just got more comfortable day by day and different finishing even week or foot just become more comfortable striking the ball so when it came to the games and they were going in I was you just think to yourself well I've trained for this it's working so I keep doing it and when I started scoring then it was kind of a case of I knew I was going to score in the game going into a game I kind of it wasn't even a sense of I'll get a chance in the game I might get a few goals but it was like I knew I was going to score that's the confidence I have left Yeah everything you touched turned the goals as you say and a great picture here of you celebrating against Fulham on the opening day and that obviously kickstart the season but which ones sort of stick out to you, the goals out of the 27?

28:32Ross Halls:There's obviously some good ones. Brentford sticks to mind. I've got a good picture here. I've got a good picture here. Bratley Griffin Park on Boxing Day. What comes to your mind? Your favourite goals from off-season?

28:46I don't know if I have a favourite. There's a few important ones there, I think. What was it? We played Fulham away around Christmas time, was it? I think that Brentford one as well. was that the same period I think it was wasn't it we played away to Craven College and at Brentford and I scored two in both games yeah it was like that that time of Christmas you know yourself it was mental with the amount of games so for us to be scoring and for me to be scoring and us to be doing well and getting points on the board it's an important time of year if you the amount of games you have in that short space of time if you can clock a few wins there you stay right in the mix so that was probably an important period for us really yeah

29:32Ross Halls:got a picture of you actually scoring against Billum but you got a bit of a shine yeah broke my nose off Tonicliffe's head I remember that yeah yeah but yeah it was a good win because we obviously won 2-0 in that game and we were top of the league at some stage you know how do you sort of look back at that scene we just missed out you know we obviously had the knowledge game you know you scored your 27th goal at Blackburn with this penalty here um i've spoken to many players through this season like you score 27 goals you think oh you're gonna win the league or win promotion you know like any other team just we just missed out yeah yeah unfortunately the yeah to be honest there was teams that were probably they they were set up better than us i think um they're probably just a little bit better than us.

30:26I look at Bournemouth. They were such a good team. I think they used to hate playing against us the way we played though. I used to speak to a few lads that were at Bournemouth like Matt Richie said Harry Arter used to say they hated playing against us because they just tried to play total football. Play off from the back and that. We were just channel balls, getting in behind them which most football and teams hate to play against. But look that was our style. That's why we got joy from. I think the players we had, it just suited the way we played. So if you're good at something, you stick to it.

31:00There's no point in us trying to play off in the back when we wouldn't have been comfortable. We didn't have the players that could do that.

31:06Ross Halls:Yeah, it was such a, you know, a band of brothers, though. We've got a group pitcher here. You obviously, you know, celebrated with Coles, Paul Anderson as well. And yeah, such a great team spirit. There's also that talk of point, oh, maybe we should have signed somebody most in January. We obviously signed Freddie Sears. we've signed a few loan players but a lot of people go we should have spent more money but what's your point of view on that? No, I don't to be honest I don't think that would have made a difference I really don't like in the playoffs it was we were just unlucky we just weren't dead on the day and it's such a pity because you look at that game Norwich got promoted that year did they?

31:45They won the playoffs so you know what I mean on another day if the roles had to be reversed if we had maybe played them away first and got a draw then and played at home the second you just don't know it's all all different factors play into it but um it was just one of them things that just didn't come off for us and it's such a pity because the season we had how good would that benefit if i got to to wembley to a final like to go to the premier league would have been

32:11Ross Halls:absolutely brilliant yeah annoyingly norwich beat borough four nil in the finals yeah so it's like, damn it, you know. Yeah, well, on another note, if we had got Norwich in the final and I had ended up that score, it would have been 10 times worse. Yeah, it would have been. It wouldn't have been good. But yeah, 27 goals. Is there any, like, you obviously speak about that often. You know, is it many people who have asked you about that? A lot of people are. Yeah, a lot of people kind of are still surprised by it. I remember, I tell you a good one. When I went to Newcastle, it was actually funny.

32:44I was in the change room and I'd say half of them probably didn't know who I was. I remember Johan Gofram was sitting down in the corner and he goes, Murphy, he said, you scored 27 goals last season. I said, yeah. And he goes, no penalties. I said, no. And he was obviously after Googling me on his phone, he was talking in French to the two lads sitting next to him. So they were obviously going, who's this fellow like? So they Googled me. But yeah, I think after that, he kind of, a little bit of respect. but yeah so I think people still ask me did he score 27 goals didn't take a penalty I was like I think I took a penalty but I missed it I think but yeah Didsy was on penalties and yeah 27

33:26Ross Halls:Yeah it's a shame he got injured in that season as well because you know you still had that partnership obviously Teddy Bishop came out of nowhere as well he was like you know coming onto the scene who were you sort of close to I know it was obviously a band of brothers but anybody that comes to mind who was really good in the dressing room do you? the usual suspects for me it would have been just Didsy Chambo Christoph Behrer

33:53yeah just kind of that little group really Gerricks he was there at the time yeah there's only a few of us really that would would have done stuff together really outside of football yeah definitely

34:07Ross Halls:and of course you know You never scored a hat-trick in that season until, of course, the following season you scored your first hat-trick. It's mad to think you scored 27 goals. There's a lot of braces and stuff. Yeah, a lot of people say that to me as well. Yeah. But, of course, you finally scored that first hat-trick in English football, you know, away out of Rotherham. And that was time as well. So, you know, we had the play-off season. Then we went into that. So, you went on a bit of a goal drought, sorry to say. I wasn't. I've scored about 13 games or something, stupid. Yes, not that. And then you go, oh, I need to go and score a goal.

34:36Ross Halls:I need to score a hat-trick. Yeah, no, I remember that. remember that game I actually could add more in that game but yeah so I just relieved to actually get a goal never mind the three but when the three came along then it kind of kicked on a little bit then again. I've got a picture of you with the match ball, have you kept this and do you still have it? I have it right next to me up here actually up in the room. Oh wow brilliant love that love that and yeah because you know you go all that time scoring all those goals and not score a hat-trick you know I know you're obviously not I only wanted the two.

35:13Ross Halls:Yeah, pretty much. But yeah, you know, how would you sort of sum up your Italian spell? Because, you know, six, seven goals in 225 games in those three spells, you know, you sort of make yourself, you know, a recent town cult hero because of the, you know, the goals you scored. How do you sort of look back at it? Yeah, look, so many fond memories. obviously as you said when I signed and it was made permanent that was just that was the what I needed I think and I think that's the reason maybe as well that I scored that many goals probably I was just settled I knew I wasn't staying there until the end of the season heading back to another club I was there I was off to sign in two years and that's where I was going to be based so yeah the playoffs as we said pity obviously that we didn't do it but that season was brilliant I think everyone just pulled together everyone knew what we wanted to achieve and we knew the good chance of achieving that and I think it was probably one of the best wrestlers I've played in to be honest that season the way everyone just wanted the same thing really we didn't have any bad eggs, there was no players in there if you weren't playing or sulking it was just a really good season for us A random question here what was Ballot Boiner like?

36:32Ross Halls:he was such a random signing who was that? Ballet Bajna the Hungarian striker do you remember him? oh Ballet oh yeah I was mad he was to know when the first sign we were going who is this fella he was terrible seriously we were going where's this fella come from now but he was a lovely fella lovely fella and the more he got the more he kind of I don't know whether it was nerves or he was probably coming in didn't realise how quick and the pace of the game would be in the championship because he was from another league wasn't he so I think it was kind of a wake up call for him really for the first few months and then he kind of settled in and then he started doing well but he was a big lump of a young fella good lad to have around as well the lads used to really like him but yeah that was a strange one right yeah it was a random it was a lot of sucks he obviously signed Kevin Brew as well Kevin was a player though Kevin could play Kevin was a good baller he was a really good player yeah I spoke to him for this podcast he was obviously a good lad and he also brought in his good friend Larsen Torrey as well Larsen Torrey he was a good lad to have around he was a funny lad he was good around to change with the lads yeah just interesting period Mick was just bringing in because obviously there wasn't much money going about yeah sort of how your whatever one knows you'd always get one or two wouldn't you look at Tyrone Mings you know what I mean oh unbelievable like if anyone I don't think he gets enough credit for the players that he's plucked from nowhere for nothing and sold him on for however much like unbelievable in fairness Can you remember when Tyrone came in?

38:10Ross Halls:Because I think he was on trial Yeah I remember when he came in but yeah he was an incredible athlete I remember when he came in yeah the lads used to I think Twitter was only out and he used to be posting on Twitter I think I've got where's all them strikers I think they're still in my pocket or something like that after his first day of training or something and the lads some of them are fuming over and I was just laughing. I was going, I like that. I like it. He has a bit about him now. He was a great lad in Ferris still. Yeah, yeah. But an incredible sort of bit of business from Mick. And yeah, we sold him for the amount of money we did.

38:43Ross Halls:Then we brought him, you know, Brett Pittman and Ryan Fraser on loan. Who would you sort of say is up there as the best players you played with at Town Hall? Obviously, we've mentioned a lot of them already, but anybody that else comes to mind? Yeah, well, the obvious ones, Crezi and Tyrone. would have been obviously Didsy but yeah Crezzy was like I even said this to Crezzy I speak to him a bit I said to him that game when he came back when he was only after signing for West Ham and he played I was on the bench for the first half and he actually came off in the second half when I came on I was filming over that because I told him I was going to smash him when I got near him but he like I said to him you got an extra yard of pace out somewhere I said just from he was only with us a few days before I said that's what the belief and confidence gives you like he was just on the ball his like his pass and his cross and his pace everything just went up a notch just from them few days of signing for West Ham and I said that to him and I was after saying to him loads because I've roomed with him over the years I was saying like you won't be here long I was telling him that and you know it was crazy like ah why are you on about that he won't believe me you know what I mean he was going I said I'm telling you you will not be here I said there's fellas playing in the Premier League that wouldn't lay short boots I said I promise you and he he never believed me but look at him now many appearances he's a West Ham legend yeah incredible yeah you can always see it I think deep down he probably knew he had a chance but that was just crazy yeah to be fair you got to give Paul's real credit because he was the one who signed him originally yeah definitely yeah and really look after each other yeah very true very true and yeah, you know, how do you sort of look back at your time living in Suffolk because yeah, obviously your kids sort of grew up in the area, you know, your wife as well, like how was that just living in it?

40:39Yeah, I liked it. I was settled there. I just liked it. The weather was good in the summer. Well, most of the year it was good. Some lovely places to go and visit, restaurants, like, it's just a quiet life. I liked that. I was settled. I was at that stage in my life where just needed calm, like didn't need distractions of living in a big city or something like that. You know what I mean? It was just nice.

41:08Ross Halls:Yeah, and obviously his departure, you know, there was always going to be that rumours of like, yeah, he's going to leave because of the goal-scoring season he had. Obviously, he stayed, he scored 10 goals, had a few little injuries. Obviously, Newcastle come up, you know, you put in a transfer request. How'd that sort of come about? And obviously, linked up with Rafa Benitez. says yeah well look it was and I say this to everyone I said I was 33 like I said like when was I ever going to get a chance to to go to a club like Newcastle there was no chance it was either then or I wasn't going and I knew I had to hand in a transfer request because there was no chance Mick was going to leave me go and and it was it wasn't even obviously the money was better but it was a case if I could win the championship again because that's that's the way I looked at I looked at it thinking they should be getting promoted like the squad they have and I was after watching the first few games they played and I think they lost both of them but you could see it like that these are definitely going up so that was another chance for me to prove myself again I think just to do something for me to go right you could go in there you obviously won't play straight away but spend your time show what you can do and have some part of hopefully getting promoted and that was the case so if I hadn't if I hadn't handed in that transfer request I would have stayed at Ipswich and I might have thought what could have been you know what I mean so that's a regret I didn't want to have and in fairness to Mick I think he understood as well my age a club like that coming in for me so it was yeah what a nice way to go but it was something I had to do already and to be fair the club made a bit of money yeah well exactly and I think when we got promoted they got more money so So it was a win-win.

42:54Ross Halls:Pretty much. And yeah, from Mick McCarthy to Rafa Benitez, what was that like? A different dynamic, I assume. Yeah, do you know what? It was actually mad because the training session, I remember someone said when I signed, one of the lads that worked with him, they said, like, you will train for about 40 minutes a day and he won't leave you to do any extras. And I was like, what? Because with Mick, like, we train for two hours easy. Like every day, like hard sessions, long sessions. I loved it. so when I went there like we we could start at half 10 I'm finished at quarter past 11 and I'm going what am I meant to do for the rest of the day I was going what was going on here so I just went to the gym or I got a bit a massage off the masseur or whatever but we like that I asked him one day do extra shooting he was like you've done enough I'm like I've trained for 40 minutes now in fairness like I loved it because everything was just so intense like the training sessions you have a certain time on a passenger you might five or ten minutes and bang once that ten minutes is up you're on to something else it was like structured very well and the tempo of everything was top notch in fairness and I kind of look back now and I'm going why like why would he train for 40 minutes 45 minutes and obviously it was because of that the tempo of it but I think it was because you want him more like he wanted you to I want to train more and so when it comes to a game like you're kind of you're fresher but you want you don't want it to end the game kind of thing you know what I mean you want 90 minutes where you're not getting much training so I want to give everything into this game and that was just me thinking back on the the reasons of why it was so short but it kind of made sense really because everyone was just itching then to to play and and train really did you get any stick you know in the early days I don't know what I actually got none whatsoever and I thought my first day driving into the training ground there was like hundreds of fans there I was like oh jeez I'm going to get it now and not one person said they were just oh Murphy sign this sign that and I think it was just the case because they loved Benitez so much that they were thinking right if he wants to sign him he must have a reason and we'll go with him we'll back him kind of thing so nah they were actually brilliant when I made Newcastle fans and then it was like it was years before I played for Sunderland so probably forgot about it a little bit I'd imagine yeah yeah pretty much and did your family move up or did you no they were they were going home at that stage they were after we had planned to move home because my daughter was going into secondary school so we had our we got her into school here I wanted her to start like fresh kind of thing and I was planning on moving home anyway after Ipswich so when the Newcastle thing came in it was like right I have to stay for another few years yeah and of course you then signed for Nottingham Forest and have a big club obviously still in the championship for a few years how do you look back at that spell?

46:07yeah it started off really well started off really well and then I think we played what did we play? well before Christmas I think we played Sunderland at home and in the training session two days before I was like someone came through the back of me the back was sore I was like so I just thought shake it off anyway I played on but then in the game I went to shield the ball and someone came through the back of me again and actually cracked the rib I didn't realise it at the time but like I was down on the ground I couldn't breathe I was on my side and everything I knew it wasn't good like it was I'm not one for staying down unless I'm actually injured.

46:47And I knew it wasn't good. I couldn't even breathe barely. So after that, then I kind of, I was out for six weeks where you basically can't kind of do anything. You can't even go on the bike because you breathe, like you can feel it. It's a horrible injury to have because there's nothing you can really do for it. Only leave a cell. So it kind of was hard getting back into it then to get back fit again after I've been out for that long.

47:13Ross Halls:And yeah, it, As I said, it started well and kind of just drifted, really. Kind of played, didn't play. It was just kind of that kind of season, really. Then, obviously, you finished your time in England at Bolton. They were struggling at the time, you know, finances and stuff. Do you sort of, I would say, regret that sort of end of your period in England? You know, obviously, you go to Bolton, you score a few goals for them, but, you know, probably not the way you wanted to end your time in England? No, it was the COVID. Killed it, really. I had an opportunity to go and just play because at Forest, I think there were six or seven of us, they were after kind of throwing us into the reserve changing room and they were making a horrible forest to want to leave.

48:01So I just knew, I said, look, it's probably my last year anyway, I might as well go and play. And Bolden came in, it was just something I looked at and I thought, you know what, I'd give it a go because Liam Brickhaw was after Benantemi, he was going to go on loan as well I was way in my forest so I said we might as well just go and try see if we can help him stay up really they were after getting the Pines deduction so it was going to be nearly a miracle to try to keep him in the league but do you know what I loved it I actually loved it my time there living in Manchester easier flights to get home from me to see my family and that and I had friends that lived in Manchester as well so they made it easier for me a bit of company but yeah as I said it was just the way it ended was not nice because of the COVID I obviously I think I barely made it out of the country before they kind of banned the flights and that so if I had stayed over any longer I would have been stuck in an apartment on my own for God knows how long so that wouldn't have been nice but yeah I went home then and that was it kind of didn't really have any interest in going back once my contract was up had a few offers but nothing that I really wanted to move back over for so I think it was good timing but as you said it would have been nicer just to finish off a season or go out with something to look back on Yeah but

49:31Ross Halls:you sort of return to Ireland to play for Waterfield a full circle moment I know that time there was still Covid stop starts and stuff but in a way it must have been just nice like you know what finished my career where it started Yeah it was nice but it was just the injuries just caught up with me calf just kept coming back and I just knew then I just said look I just can't do it anymore I'm no use to it just keep getting back and break down again it wasn't fair on the club it's a pity because if I had finished the season if COVID hadn't came in I'd have finished the season with Bolt and I would have went back fit and raring to go.

50:13So that was a regret for me that I couldn't go back and kind of be near my best fitness-wise to give back to the club. But look, I got to play with him again before I finished. So it's probably a good thing.

50:27Ross Halls:Definitely. Did you have much of a plan in mind for when you did stop playing? Did you know what you were going to do? Or were you still like... Not really, no. I was always kind of going to go into the coach and I was kind of doing my badges at the time, but I never really thought too much about it. And then with the COVID, then it just kind of stopped everything, couldn't do anything really. So I think I just kind of enjoyed the time in COVID, just being with my family really, because I was used to living in England on my own. So this was actually when people were going around about the lockdown.

50:56I was basically in lockdown on my own in England. So for me to be in lockdown at home, I was laughing at people. I was going, this is brilliant because I have my family here. So I'm not on my own for a change. So I didn't mind it at all.

51:09Ross Halls:Yeah, and yeah, you know, I see you're walking now within the academy and stuff. How's that like? And your son is now, is he going to be the next Darryl Murphy or is he his next own, you know? No, he's in the academy since he's 14. So he'll be 20s next year, this year. He'll be on the 20s. They have a 17s and a 20s then. So it's quite a jump. but he's played he's actually played as a striker the last few months now and he's done really well he was always a striker until he went to Waterford then they put him as midfielder and he loved it he loved getting on the ball and he's a left footer as well so he's got a few goals in him as well but I say to him look I don't put any pressure whatsoever on him I don't care what he's going to be as long as he's happy it's as simple as that but I think he's he's in the same regard as me in the sense of we're kind of late bloomers so he's like he's kicking on now he's nearly the same size as me now so he's a big lad for his age and he loves it that's the main thing he loves it so I try to help him out as much as I can with a bit of coaching because I do individual stuff with the lads out there so I'd be taking him a lot with shooting and stuff like that as well so it's great That's good to hear and I'm sure you guys still speak about your time in Ipswich as a family?

52:36Oh, yeah, definitely. Basically, the kids have probably more memories of Ipswich than anywhere else, really, because they're based there for the longest. They were too young at Sunderland when they were there, so Ipswich is the only kind of place. And they still have friends from there, from school as well. They still keep in contact, so that's always good.

52:56Ross Halls:Yeah, of course. You've seen the journey the club's been on. Because when we were at Bolton, we were town, got relegated to League One, so we weren't equals in that time. But since then, we've gone off. Obviously, unbelievable under Kieran McKenna, you know, promotion to the Premier League, you know, back in the Championship now. But, you know, as a former player, you must have, like, had a little bit of a smile on your face. Like, it's good to see a switch, you know, doing what they were doing. Oh, of course, yeah. Always keep an eye out for the results and watch what games I can. But, yeah, look, hopefully this season now again.

53:24You know yourself a few wins in that league and you're right up the table. Look at them now, where they are on the table. So, moving along nicely. As I said, Christmas now, period. it'll be it'll be a hectic one where you can get points on the board and who knows where they can end up now going into the start of the new year

53:40Ross Halls:Do you sometimes miss it? You know like Christmas Day waking up training and probably don't miss that side of it Definitely don't miss that one Definitely not that The other parts yeah but not Christmas Christmas here now is great of all the freedom I want Definitely mate Well thank you very much for joining me Sort of final message to the town fans listening you know hopefully I had a good Christmas day good present yeah yeah look hopefully have a great Christmas and thanks for all your support over the years made me feel really welcome and and have some very fond memories I've been back already and I'm sure I'll be back in the future Tom and Daryl thank you brilliant thanks a lot

54:34Thank you.

55:06Thank you.

55:32Thank you.