When Josh Murphy arrived on loan from Cardiff City in the summer, it seemed as if Preston North End had got themselves a very talented winger who had cost The Bluebirds £11 million just three years before.
With his contract in Wales set to expire at the end of this season, it was to be a big year for Murphy to ultimately try and gain a permanent deal with Preston or elsewhere.
However, Murphy is an out and out winger so didn’t quite fit smoothly into the formation Frankie McAvoy had settled on for the start of the season.
Murphy is probably too attacking for a wing-back role and could be shoe horned into the front two but hasn’t played as a striker too regularly in his career.
Much like when Anthony Gordon was at the club last season, a talented winger had to settle for a place on the bench more often than not. In fact, Murphy hasn’t managed to start a game for Preston yet.
The 26 year-old has come on as a substitute seven times this season, all in the league. They have accumulated to 70 minutes in total. They all came between September and October and it has been nowhere near enough time for Murphy to show his worth.
Murphy was very highly rated along with his brother Jacob at a very young age, and impressed at Norwich City and with a loan spell at MK Dons as well. He scored three goals for Cardiff in their Premier League campaign in 2018-19 and will be desperate to get his career back on track.
Murphy has suffered with injury for the last few months and so Ryan Lowe hasn’t been able to see him in action. There were murmurings of Cardiff recalling Murphy, but deadline day ended without a return.
Time is running out for the winger and with Lowe near enough settled on a regular squad now, it may be tough for Murphy to get many chances before the end of the season.
He’s expected to return from injury this month but it’s hard to see who he would displace in the side. The wing-back areas seem the most likely at the moment and it feels like half the squad have been tried out in those positions. I can’t see him being given much chance up front with four strikers already giving Lowe enough options to mix things around.
Murphy is reaching a turning point in his career. No longer a promising youngster, he needs to prove he can deliver at this level to be able to find himself a new contract somewhere.
He looks almost certain he will leave Cardiff but time is ticking for him to not to put this season down as a complete write off. Preston fans will be keen to see him in action, and hopefully there will be some opportunities for him in the remainder of the season.