Ex-Preston North End and Cardiff City man thought about quitting football - now shining in League One

Ex-Preston North End loan man, Josh Murphy, has explained how he pondered his future as a footballer over the last couple of years.

The Lilywhites brought Murphy in on transfer deadline day, from Cardiff City, in the summer of 2021. He went on to make 12 appearance for North End, without scoring. The winger did miss four months of the campaign, due to a calf injury. Having been signed by Frankie McAvoy, though, Murphy’s loan was cut-short by current boss, Ryan Lowe.

In mid-to-late April, the PNE manager axed him and Izzy Brown at the same time - due to falling short of ‘standards’. After seeing his Cardiff contract end that summer, Murphy secured a move to Oxford United. His first season there was low key, but the 29-year-old is now playing a key role in the U’s promotion push - with six goals and three assists in his last 12 outings. With the recent mental challenges he has faced, Murphy now feels in a good place.

"There was a time where I did think to myself, 'Do I want to carry on playing football?' Murphy told The Mirror. “There was a lot of self-doubt there. 'Am I good enough?' Things like that. You see it a lot from Premier League players coming out and speaking about these things now. But I had so many good conversations with Jacob.

“He had a couple of unsuccessful loans while at Newcastle and then in just one season he had turned things around. Now he's loved there and has even been playing in the Champions League this season. Just speaking to him and getting clarity that things do change in football was a big thing. I'm so grateful for that. If it wasn't for him, I don't know what I would be doing right now."

Murphy added: "I was going through a difficult point in my career and I probably didn't really know much about myself. But the last two years have been massive. I've found who I am. I've settled down with my family and I'm back playing probably the best football that I've played in many years. Since Des (Buckingham) has come in he's given me a license to just go and play.”

Buckingham replaced Liam Manning at the Kassam Stadium, back in November - after Bristol City lured the Oxford boss to Ashton Gate. Earlier in the season Murphy had been told, by Manning, that he was not part of the plans at Oxford. That was all the motivation Murphy needed to reignite his career.

"Instantly, the way that I saw it in my head was, 'I'm not having someone tell me that I'm not good enough.' said Murphy. “And I think at this stage of my career, it was either going to go one way or the other: it fizzles out and I probably don't ever reach the heights or expectations that I wanted for my career, or I turn it on its head and do well at Oxford.”