Latest: Portsmouth boss details position over Josh Murphy’s future as former Cardiff City and Norwich City winger’s form hits career high
John Mousinho is confident Josh Murphy will be a Pompey player beyond this season as his form soars to a career high.
Murphy is earning the plaudits at present for his outstanding form delivering 15 goal contributions, comprising six goals and nine assists so far this term.
Mousinho acknowledged the former Norwich and Cardiff man is playing some of the best football of his life at Fratton Park - and the Pompey boss expects that to remain the case moving forward.
‘The best thing for us is to have players in our team getting noticed, it’s a compliment. The opposite is for no one to notice your players or talk about your team.
‘So it’s good, it’s good it’s happening - I think Murphs is playing some of the best football of his career here, certainly since his early days.
‘He’s dominating in the Championship at a very, very high level. He’s scoring goals, he’s getting assists and his work rate is incredible. He looks fit and his physical output is right up there, so, from my point of view, it’s been more than a really solid part of Murph’s career - and we’re looking forward to that continuing here.
Murphy’s level of performance has now been at a consistently high level since the second half of last season, as he helped Oxford into the Championship with his flying displays.
A move to Fratton Park has seen the Londoner afforded a decent platform at his new side, which he has used impressively to showcase his quality.
Mousinho sees Murphy as a snug fit with his current employers, with there clear appreciation of what he’s producing for his team.
‘Just fits here’
Mousinho added: ‘I think he just fits here.
‘The thing about Murph coming into the football club is he gives what Portsmouth fans like to see - it’s certainly what I like to see.
‘He’s a traditional type of winger, although he’s playing on the other side to where he would’ve been 10 years ago. We saw it with Abs (Kamara) last year, an out-and-out winger who excites people and gets bums off seats. Murphy has done that and more. He’s suits how we’re trying to play.
‘Credit to the football club for making sure we get Josh.
‘He’s a player that was right at the top of our list, you just have to go as hard as you can for these players.
‘Josh had come into the best form of his recent career post-February with Oxford and got those goals in the play-off final.
‘It was a real, easy one for me because I’d played with him, knew him as a bloke around the dressing room and loved him to bits. At the end of the day it was a really easy one to push.’