Peter Murphy is in his second season at Brunton Park, he has put in some sparkling performances and his link play with McGill has given us an attacking outlet down the left. We caught up with Peter before the Bournemouth game, he told us how much he'd like to score for Carlisle, he didn't have long to wait!
You were born in Dublin and got picked up form Ireland by Blackburn. How did that come about? There was a scout for Blackburn in Ireland called Pat Devlin. He managed a football team over there called Bray Wanderers which is around my area. He's good friends with Kenny Dalglish who was manager when I signed for Blackburn. The scout mentioned to my mother and father about me going over for a trial, they broke it o me and I was thrilled to go over. I went for a first trial and enjoyed myself there, then came over a few more times. I tried out at a few other clubs but Blackburn was the place to be with the best coaches and the best facilities and all.
Is there anyone at Blackburn, a coach or player that made a big impression on you? When I went over for trials there was a coach there called Alan Irvine. He was a youth team coach there, a very fit man, very strong. When we were doing running he was there always at the front, I admired him and thought I'd like to be coached by him because he was a tough man and it seemed he could get it right. When I eventually did go over to Blackburn he had gone, he'd left the club. Rob Kelly was one of the youth coaches and is the best coach I've ever worked with, so I was fortunate. I thought I was losing a good coach but I actually gained the best.
You played a lot of reserve games for Blackburn? Yes, a lot of them as Captain of the reserves but it doesn't really mean anything, it was only reserve team football.
Did you play against the likes of Manchester United reserves? Yes, we played against Man U at Gigg Lane. They had a good side out but it's different. The first teamers, they don't sometimes commit themselves too much. If there's a 50:50 tackle against a young upstart trying to make it in the game and a seasoned professional, the seasoned professional is going to look after himself because he wants to be playing on the Saturday. So it's not totally competitive, they think about the game.
From Blackburn you moved to Halifax. Did that feel like a backwards step? Well it came about because a coach at Blackburn knew Paul Bracewell. So I was asked if I would like to go on loan. Initially it was supposed to be a 1 month or 3 month deal but it turned out to be the season long one. I was basically told I wasn't wanted at Blackburn so I went to Halifax. I played as left wing back which wasn't a position I really liked or really knew how to play then because I'd never played it before. It took me a while to get going there at Halifax but it was a step up not down, first team football. It was the lower leagues but it was still high tempo, very tough and physical, so it was a good learning curve.
You didn't play against Carlisle while you were at Halifax? No, Halifax had played up here at Brunton Park before I had joined. Then while I was at Halifax I got injured. I did my ankle ligaments, so I was out when Carlisle played down at the Shay. It was a nil all on a cold winter night, I was watching it but I didn't play.
How did the Carlisle move come about? Well you remember me mentioning the coach Rob Kelly at Blackburn? He knows Roddy and while I'd been at Blackburn there had been talk of me going to Ireland to play for Boh's but nothing had come of it. When Roddy found I was out of contract he and Rob Kelly got on the phone to me and asked if I'd like to come up, of course I was delighted, I didn't have a club and all I wanted to do was play football. So I came up initially on a one month deal and it went from there.
You've played in a number of positions at Carlisle but most often as left back. Is that your preferred position now? Yes, that's where I like playing. You can attack and see your spaces from the back to attack. I've played a good few games at left midfield which I feel I've got better at now. At the start I wasn't really comfortable, I felt I was just playing in the team without that bit extra to give but at full back I do feel I've got that bit extra.
You played in central midfield in some of the preseason friendlies, did you enjoy that? In central midfield you get a chance to break forward and get ahead of the ball to try and get into scoring positions. You get involved in every bit of the game because you can run and join in with the play. Whereas if you're on the left side obviously you can't go flying over to the right and be out of position. Central midfield I do enjoy. I played their in the frendlies against Workington and against Preston and I thought I had decent games. The one league game I played in midfield here was away at Lincoln. that was a dodgy game with the three sendings off, the first game that Roddy saw me in midfield and he didn't really fancy me in there. It was a long ball game bypassing midfield all the time so he made up his mind not to play me there, it's his choice and I don't mind. I honestly love playing left back, I just love playing.
Do you live in Carlisle now? Yes and no. The club has a house up here that I stay in but my girlfriend lives in Burnley. I've been with her for three and a half years, since I came over to Blackburn. So I go down and spend time with her and her family on the weekend or if we get a day off. It breaks things up, gets me away from the football and gives me time to relax. Carlisle is a great place, even the weather at the moment is great and the people are so friendly. I just hope they'll start coming back to the games. Everyone said there would be loads coming to the games but the crowds have dropped, we've had bad results but we will get it right now and get going.
You mentioned the weather, when it's really warm like on the day of the Boston game, how hard is it to play in those conditions? Well it was hot, although not as hot as some games earlier in the season. In the first half against Boston we played to a really high tempo. The Boston team never got out of their own half really and the odd occasion they did our centre halves won every header. In the second half I think we dropped off a bit but that was partly due to Boston changing their tactics, putting three men up front. The heat maybe did bother us a little as well because we'd worked so hard the first half and we were sitting on our lead, so it came to 4-2 but we won.
Did you see that Brendan's goal against Rotherham was featured in the Nationwide goals on Sky? I hadn't seen that, his miss kick? :-) No, good for him.
You and Brendan have formed a good partnership, do you get on well together? Yes, he's a lovely lad and he does so much work for me, in front of me. He protects me as a left back, which I don't really need him to do but he does it. Then when he carries the ball you just back him up all the time but because he's right footed he can go inside. We have a bit of an understanding and we talk to each other during the games. It just seems to be working for us and we'll obviously keep it going and get goals between ourselves hopefully.
You're still after that illusive first Carlisle goal? Anyone would like to score, I think I need to score, I do! No, in some ways I don't really mind. I've taken free kicks all my life and it's getting them into the right areas. Like in the Boston game, Richie Foran got on the end of one and got a penalty. I don't mind as long as I keep creating but obviously I'd LOVE to score. I've only ever scored one league goal, that was at Halifax. I hope to get one here, I'd love to, not just one, a few!
What do you do to relax? I play golf, I read, I've just finished Roy Keane's autobiography but mostly I like to spend time with my girlfriend. After training and travelling it's great just to sit in with her and watch a video or go to the cinema. Just relaxing and getting ready for the next days training and the next game.
Playing for a club so far North, how do you feel about the long distances you have to travel for away games? I don't mind it. I've got a little DVD player, so I take DVDs and a book. I'm used to travelling, it's part of football. When I used to play with the Irish International team that involved travelling long distances and of course just going back to Ireland. The only thing that bothers me is I can't sleep sitting up, I have to be lying down.
Finally if you could play for any team in the world, who would it be? It would have to be Real Madrid. The style of football and the way they play is breathtaking. I'd like to play for Real Madrid in the Premiership, I know that's not possible but that would be superb. The players they have going forward, even the defenders going forward, it's amazing. They put any team on the back foot.
They already have a rather good left back? I know, that's going to be me though :-) Yes, Roberto Carlos, superb. Even to be at the club to learn from players like that, just watching them day in day out. To learn from Roberto Carlos then move on with all that experience, that would be the ultimate.
Back to Interviews index