Jacob Murphy is targeting an England call-up and a long career at Newcastle United, insisting the city has to “get used to” regular trophy parades.
On Saturday an estimated 300,000 supporters gathered to celebrate a Carabao Cup win that has prompted something close to mass euphoria.
For Murphy – a Newcastle fan through his parents, even though he was brought up in London – it was best summed up as “crazy, surreal”.
“You drive those streets daily, weekly but then to see them full of people is something you can’t put into words. I didn’t know there were that many people in Newcastle!” he said.
“As a club we want to be doing that every season and without putting too much pressure on ourselves we’ve now set a level and that’s what we have to be aiming for and striving for every season.
“Granted it’s not going to happen every season because wonderful teams up and down the country are going to make it difficult for us but these are moments, now that we’ve got a taste for it and we want it again.
“It feels like the start of something. I think the Newcastle fans, the Council, everyone – they’re going to have to get used to this, the planning and the logistics of a bus parade.
“We always knew that the specialness was in being the first. To be on that bus knowing we are the first in so long to do it makes it even more special.”
Murphy is perhaps a good example of why this victory has meant so much to a squad, city and supporter base that has been starved of success for so long.
When the Saudi-fuelled takeover was passed in 2021 there was an assumption that the likes of Murphy, signed by Rafa Benitez as a project player in an era when Newcastle were minding their money, would be cast aside.
He was on loan at second tier Sheffield Wednesday under successor Steve Bruce but fought tirelessly to become an integral part of Eddie Howe’s history boys.
Wrapped up in his own personal story are all the factors that have made Howe’s victory so impressive: coaching kudos, self-improvement, a refusal to quit and a respect for the club he plays for.
“The journey I’ve been on [makes it mean more],” he said. “There’s one point where everyone thought it was my time to go but I never thought that and there I was on that bus parade, and leaping at the back post, nodding it down to our superstar striker to put us 2-0 in front [in the final].
“So it’s just an amazing journey, one I’m proud of and one my family are proud of. It’s just awesome.”
It is not over yet. Murphy is taking heart from teammate Dan Burn’s unlikely elevation to England honours at the age of 32, seeing at as motivation to follow the same route.
“It’s a conversation me and [first-team coach] Graeme Jones have been having for a number of seasons,” he said. “I have to keep putting out performances because they’re always keeping an eye out for English players.
“To see Dan get his call-up was amazing, it does give you that extra motivation. We’ve got [Anthony] Gordon, Lewis Hall, Tino [Livramento] and when you’re kicking it with them every week, you think there’s every chance in the future.
“I keep my head down and – you know – I’ve just won a cup with Newcastle so who’s to say no to getting a call-up?”
Newcastle are targeting right wing reinforcements this summer but Murphy is assured of a place in Howe’s plans whatever happens. The manager likes him a lot and would retain him even if some of the ambitious targets he is looking at are available.
And that suits Murphy, whose immediate priority is to refocus minds on a return to the Champions League. “That’s the aim, we’ve got 10 huge games now,” he said.
“There’s 30 points to get and we need to try our best because we might have got some sort of European football [the Carabao Cup win qualifies the club for the Conference League] but we want the big dog.”
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