Newcastle United made a major announcement on Monday, much to the delight of Anthony Gordon.
While the 23-year-old ponders why the Premier League have not nominated him for any awards for a special season in black and white, one of his teammates has secured his future at St James’ Park.
There have been a lot of contract developments at Newcastle United as of late, with Joelinton signing a new deal and Mark Gillespie also extending his stay. On top of that, there is hope that Alexander Isak will put pen to paper over a new contract amid interest from Arsenal.
That deal is yet to be finalised, but one contract that has been extended is Alex Murphy‘s.
Newcastle United announce Alex Murphy contract
Newcastle United announced on Monday that Alex Murphy has signed a new long-term contract to keep him at the club. His previous deal was due to expire in 2025, but he is now set to stay at Newcastle for much longer.
It is great news for the 19-year-old, who believes he has really improved as a player since moving to Tyneside and working with Eddie Howe.
Next on the cards could be a loan move, with Newcastle eventually wanting Murphy to become a Premier League regular.
Alex Murphy delivers message after new Newcastle deal goes public
That is Murphy’s goal too, and he has expressed his delight over his new contract on his official Instagram account.
Alongside a picture of him signing his new deal, the Irish defender wrote: “Delighted to have signed a new deal at this amazing club.”
Plenty of Murphy’s Toon teammates replied to the post, congratulating him on the wonderful news. First-team regulars such as Lewis Miley, Emil Krafth and Lewis Hall commented, as well as co-owner Mehrdad Ghodoussi.
There was also a message from Newcastle United superstar Anthony Gordon, who wrote: “Congrats mate.”
Murphy will want to play more with Anthony Gordon
Gordon is delighted for Murphy, who will be hoping to play alongside the England international much more in the future.
Murphy has made two Premier League appearances this season, both of which came at left-back. His debut was in the 4-1 win over Chelsea at home, while his second was in a recent 5-1 victory against Sheffield United.
Howe currently seems to prefer Murphy as a left-back, which is an easier position to play when you have got someone like Gordon in front of you. The 23-year-old works so hard off the ball, and makes life so much easier for his teammates.
What Eddie Howe has said about the 19-year-old defender
Murphy has already spoke about the impact that Howe has had on his career, and it appears that the Newcastle United manager is also very fond of the teenager.
He was asked about Murphy during his press conference before the Manchester United game, and was full of praise for the former Galway United player.
“My plans for him is that he continues to push and train well and push the players that are in the team,” he said.
“I’ve been really pleased with his progress this year. I think he’s really improved from his training time with us. He can play left-back or centre-back, he’s athletic, very composed on the ball – a really good footballer.
“There will come a time for Alex when we need to either expose him to the team or maybe a loan spell will do him good, but that’s further on in the future. For now, his focus should be to try get in the team.”
Howe sees a bright future in black and white for Murphy, and he is certainly on the right path towards becoming a Premier League regular at Newcastle United.
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