Birmingham City: How West Brom boss helped David Murphy shine

Feb 14 2009 by Andy Walker, Birmingham Mail

BLUES defender David Murphy has revealed how Albion manager Tony Mowbray helped mould him into the player he is today.

The left-back was brought to Hibernian by the current Baggies boss as a 20-year-old having been released by Mowbray’s boyhood club Middlesbrough.

After parting ways when Mowbray left Hibs in October 2006, the former master and apprentice are now both plying their trade in the West Midlands.

Murphy admits that he hasn’t spoken to Mowbray since moving to Birmingham, although the Albion boss has previously admitted that he would have signed the 24-year-old had Paul Robinson moved in the wake of the Baggies’ Championship play-off final defeat in 2007.

And although Murphy is enjoying life under Alex McLeish, he admits that it was Mowbray who helped kick-start his football career.