Jacob Murphy has not exactly caught the imagination since arriving at Newcastle United in the summer.
With Newcastle making Jacob Murphy their most expensive signing of the summer at £12 million (via Sky Sports), fans would be forgiven for expecting a lot more than one Premier League start and two substitute appearances by this stage.
Unfortunately however, Murphy’s start to life at St James’ Park is yet to capture the imagination, and some may already be questioning just how good a signing he will turn out to be for the Magpies.
But perhaps the journey of one of his Newcastle teammates should convince those who are starting to doubt how smart a signing Murphy was that the former Norwich City man deserves a considerably longer period of time to prove himself worthy of a £12 million fee.
Jamaal Lascelles took a while to break into the Newcastle side after properly arriving at St James’ Park from Nottingham Forest, and probably benefited from their relegation to the Championship as it proved the catalyst to him becoming a first-team regular.
Since then however, the defender has become one of the most important names on Rafa Benitez’s teamsheet and has, of course, become the captain.
And with many calling for the 23-year-old to be handed a call-up to the England side in the near future, it is safe to say that a time when Lascelles was on Newcastle’s books but not a first-team regular seems a long time ago.
The defender’s progression was something of a slow-burner, and Murphy should take a tremendous amount of belief from that fact.
And if he can mirror Lascelles’ progress, it will certainly be worth the wait for Newcastle fans when he finally does find his feet.
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