Birmingham City star vows to be ready for Premier League campaign

May 27 2009 by Colin Tattum, Birmingham Mail

DAVID Murphy has vowed to be fit for Blues’ return to the Premier League.

And Murphy admitted an enforced spell of doing absolutely nothing in the close season was driving him crazy.

Murphy suffered a fractured kneecap in Blues’ third but last game, at Watford.

He actually played on for the final few minutes at Vicarage Road, ignoring the intense pain. He has undergone successful surgery to re-align the joint, but has to rest up.

“I will be doing a different pre-season to everyone else,” said the left-back. ‘‘Post-op, I basically can’t do anything for 12 weeks, which is so frustrating because over the summer I tend to keep myself fit and do some sort of training most days.

“So, to do nothing it’s quite hard but that’s what I’ve been told so the bone will heal.

“I’ve had two screws put in it and once I’ve got the all-clear and I build up the muscle in my thigh again I will be aiming to be available for the start of the season.”

Murphy’s mishap, which occurred when he collided with Watford forwards and Djimi Traore as they all went to contest a ball in Blues’ box, was a disappointing way for him to crown an up and down Championship campaign.