Born: Chester, 18 March 1977
Position: Central midfielder
International caps: 9
International goals: 1
Signed: 31 August 2007 from Tottenham Hotspur (free)
Fulham debut: Wigan Athletic 1-1 Fulham, 15 September 2007
Fulham appearances: 210
Fulham goals: 28
Honours: UEFA Europa League runners-up (2009-10).
Sold: 25 June 2012 to Blackburn Rovers (free).
Danny Murphy enjoyed a remarkable Indian summer at Craven Cottage, which began with his free transfer from Tottenham on transfer deadline day in 2007. The playmaker saved his best performances for the tail end of a season that saw the Whites flirt outrageously with relegation, scoring one and making another as Fulham came from 2-0 down to beat Manchester City before heading the winner at Portsmouth as Roy Hodgson’s men beat the drop on goal difference on the final day.
Murphy succeeded Brian McBride as captain the following season and his displays only stepped up a notch. He scored his hundredth goal in club football as the Whites beat Newcastle and then scored again from the penalty spot in a famous win over Manchester United. The veteran recovered from a serious knee injury to lead Fulham all the way to the Europa League final and was then pivotal in persuading Hodgson’s successor, Mark Hughes, to change his tactics. Subtle tweaks to the Welshman’s system saw the Whites surge from the drop zone to a top half finish.
Murphy continued to shine under Martin Jol but, after making 49 appearances in 2011-2012 and feeling ‘fitter than ever,’ the club captain was disappointed to be offered only a one-year contract extension. He decided to leave Craven Cottage for Blackburn Rovers but retired after a season and is now a regular on our television screens as a leading pundit for the BBC.
