Exclusive:Wanted: The long-awaited return of Portsmouth's best - and most irreplaceable - player
The inspirational winger missed 67 per cent of Pompey’s games last season through injury
There was end-of-season uproar, a public outcry over an alarming miscarriage of footballing justice - with Pompey at the heart of it.
The classy Josh Murphy had been overlooked for inclusion in the EFL Championship Team of the Season for 2024-25, a notable omission viewed with bewilderment by many.
‘But there is a predication towards the bigger clubs in the league - and I don't think people really want to do the research on who were the absolute stand-out performers.
‘There were some wonderful players in that EFL Team of the Season, by the way, but actually you have to look at the immeasurable impact of should Josh Murphy not have been in this team.
‘What would we have achieved? That’s the testament of a real, real top player.’
Certainly what unfolded last season was an uncomfortable glimpse of Fratton Park life without Murphy, with John Mousinho able to call upon him for just 16 games.
Swept the honours in 2024-25
In 2024-25, his maiden Fratton Park campaign, the inspirational former Oxford United man conjured up seven goals and 14 assists to drive John Mousinho’s men to Championship safety, having at one stage appeared doomed.
In addition, he was crowned the Players’ Player of the Season by his Blues team-mates, while a wonderful finish against QPR in February 2025 was named as Goal of the Season.
Granted, a presence in the EFL Championship Team of the Season somehow eluded the winger, yet Murphy hadn’t exactly been starved of individual recognition following a magnificent year.
Then it was over, injury after injury, including several operations. restricting the talented attacker to just 16 matches last season.
Ibane Bowat featured in more games in 2025-26, Harvey Blair and Mark Kosznovszky totalled the same amount of appearances, Makenzie Kirk had two fewer outings, Jacob Brown one less.
Despite being robbed of their best player and greatest attacking threat, Pompey remarkably still managed to remain in the Championship with two matches to spare.
Missed 67 per cent of Pompey’s matches in 2025-26
Had the Fratton faithful last summer been informed their talisman would miss 67 per cent of matches in the forthcoming season, including featuring just twice since December 20, few would have anticipated such a satisfactory conclusion.
While Murphy may be irreplaceable, somehow the Blues muddled through. Considering such unfortunate circumstances, that achievement in itself should never be underestimated.
In his left-wing absence, Blair, Milli Alli, Florian Bianchini, Minhyeok Yang and Gustavo Caballero all auditioned for the role, yet none could match his quality, consistency and effectiveness.
Indeed, it took Murphy just four minutes to deliver a thunderous reminder of his talents by laying on Adrian Segecic’s second goal at Stoke in April, having entered the action as a substitute.
Incidentally, that would prove to be his seventh assist in 16 outings. Even in an injury-ravaged campaign, his outstanding creative numbers were among the highest in the Championship.
Murphy missed the final game against Birmingham, having undergone an operation to repair a groin tear, representing the latest in a series of devastating injury set-backs, including two hamstring tears, ankle ligament damage and a fractured toe.
Pre-season training return
Pompey are back for pre-season next week, with two days of testing commencing from Thursday, June 25 - and Murphy is expected to be among the returning players.
Hopefully fit and injury free, the 31-year-old’s new-found availability will be absolutely vital to the Blues’ ambition in the forthcoming season.
Both Pompey - and the EFL Championship Team of the Season - are better sides for including Josh Murphy.