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Tottenham Hotspur and Leeds United are among the clubs said to be keen on the teenage centre-back.
Many Hartlepool fans are backing the club’s manager, Craig Hignett, over the Tottenham Hotspur and Leeds United-linked Luca Murphy.
Hignett has confirmed via the Northern Echo that Murphy is no longer a Hartlepool player after being freed from his contract.
It follows a report by Teamtalk’s Graeme Bailey this week that the youngster had left Victoria Park amid interest from a succession of higher-division clubs, including Tottenham and Leeds.
Hignett insisted that Pools are only interested in players who want to be at their club – something he suggested Murphy did not after trialling with Fulham earlier this season.
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And his comments have received plenty of backing on Twitter…
Hignett is spot on, we don’t want players who don’t want to be here.
— (@CharlJenkins95_) 22 March 2019
Hopefully for Murphy it doesn’t come back and bite him, lad clearly has potential but clearly reports of the “big clubs” interested has turned his head BUT will he actually get a chance ♀️ https://t.co/TuKXNPgr4d
Badly advised young players , looking like another jack black ford , who did he join Man City don’t think so , from what I’ve seen and heard he wasn’t good enough for our 1st team , all the best son
— Ray spindloe (@rayspindloe1) 22 March 2019
The kid will have shot himself in the foot, will barely kick a ball the next few years , reserve football isn’t enough for a developing lad he needs proper football; ultimately he’ll get a decent contract somewhere last a couple seasons, not play football and end up non league.
— Lloyd (@lloydthomas1999) 22 March 2019
I thought this Murphy was just a myth I didn’t realise he was a real person. Fair play to Hignett though, if he was going to get a chance anywhere it would have been at Pools.
— hallyink (@hallyink) 22 March 2019
Top response from the boss.
— Martin Randall (@Pooliebob) 22 March 2019
Shocking behaviour from the lad and his agent. These people owe the academy a lot of respect for getting them to this level. Connor Simpson did the right thing. Gave himself a chance then moved on to bigger and better things on his and the clubs terms.
— J.J. Henry (@JJHenry8) 22 March 2019
Nice way for him to re pay the club!
— Richard Sligo (@richyhpool) 22 March 2019
Great stuff from @higs8#Pools boss Hignett: “If you don’t want to be here, then tell us and you can go.” https://t.co/hPjyZBw72T
— Mike Benson (@MikeyBensonesq) 22 March 2019
Murphy, a 17-year-old centre-back who is still awaiting his senior debut, had been on Hartlepool’s books for the best part of a decade.
According to Teamtalk, he could now have his pick of clubs, with Manchester United, Newcastle United, Leicester City, Cardiff City and Wolverhampton Wanderers, Middlesbrough, Brentford, Sheffield United, Barnsley and Sunderland all said keen, along with Tottenham and Leeds.
Would Murphy be a good addition for Tottenham Hotspur or Leeds United?
In other news, ‘Really good’: Mikel Arteta drops hint on Arsenal 27-year-old