A report on the STV website has claimed that Rangers winger, Jamie Murphy, is heading out the door at Ibrox to spend the second half of the season on loan at League 1 side Burton Albion.
On paper it may seem like a strange move but Murphy worked with Burton boss, Nigel Clough, during his time at Sheffield United and the familiarity could benefit both parties with the Gers forward struggling for game time.
Murphy has been unlucky over the last 18-months, after agreeing to sign permanently for the club he supported as a boy he sustained a devastating injury to his anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in August 2018 on Kilmarnock’s artificial pitch, just as the domestic season was beginning.
The nature of his rehabilitation meant that he was unable to participate fully in pre-season training for this term and has subsequently been playing catch-up ever since, caught in a catch-22 situation where he isn’t fit enough to play games but needs to play games to improve his fitness to make himself available for first team action.
Players who suffer ACL injuries can return to action with in a year – as Murphy did – but it can take a further six-months for players to rediscover their form and, as yet, he just hasn’t had that opportunity.
With 18-months left on his contract, a short-term deal is an ideal way to not only gain fitness but to rediscover the form that he showed in his initial loan from Brighton and Hove Albion which persuaded Rangers to make the move permanent.
Should Jamie Murphy have had more game time for Rangers this season?
Yes
No
In his 29 appearances for the Light Blues, Murphy has 6 goals and 13 assists, figures that prove he is worth being patient for as he embarks on a make-or-break period in his career with the ultimate target of once again pulling on the famous jersey and doing what he does best – scoring and creating goals for Rangers.