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Jimmy Murphy (left) was Sir Matt Busby’s assistant from the mid-1950s until the early 1970s
A statue of Manchester United legend Jimmy Murphy has been unveiled outside the club he served for four decades.
Murphy, who led United to the FA Cup final after the Munich disaster, served as coach, assistant, coach and scout at Old Trafford from the 1940s until his death in 1989.
As a player, he made over 200 appearances for West Bromwich Albion and has 15 caps for Wales.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag said he deserved “a lot of honor”.
The statue of Murphy, who was born in the village of Pentre in the Rhonda Valley, has been erected behind Old Trafford’s famous Stretford End.
It is located near where he coached the stars of Sir Matt Busby’s famous “Busby Babes” team on the coal track in the 1950s.
Ten Hag said the work of Murphy, who never sought the limelight, in rebuilding United was never forgotten.
The life of Murphy, who also coached the Wales national team from 1956 to 1964, changed on 6 February 1958, when a United plane crashed while trying to take off in Munich while returning from a flight. European match.
The disaster claimed the lives of 23 people, including eight Manchester United players, and left Sir Matt critically ill in hospital.
Murphy, who missed the game while at Cardiff on international duty, intervened and led a reserve team, loan and short-term signings to the FA Cup final and Champions League semi-finals. Europe.
When Sir Matt returned to duty, Murphy played a key role in rebuilding United and helping the team become the first English club to win the Champions League 10 years later.
Two years after serving as United manager, he led Wales to the quarter-finals of the 1958 World Cup, only to see his side beaten by eventual winners Brazil.
His influence on United continued into the 1970s, when, as a scout, he encouraged coach Tommy Docherty to sign influential wingers Steve Coppell and Gordon Hill.
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Murphy was Sir Matt’s right-hand man and stepped into the hole after the Munich air disaster
Murphy, who died in 1989 at the age of 79, has previously been memorialized with the Jimmy Murphy Center at Manchester United’s training ground in Carrington and the annual Jimmy Murphy Under-18 Player of the Year award.
Ten Hag said Murphy, who never sought the limelight, in rebuilding United was never forgotten.
He said it was good that the club gave “a lot of honor and recognition” to Murphy, who is seen as a symbol of “youth development… resilience and determination”.
“They are the standards for Manchester United,” he said.
The statue of Murphy, unveiled on the 65th anniversary of his team’s participation in the 1958 national cup final, along with statues of Sir Matt, fellow manager Sir Alex Ferguson and “United Trinity” Denis Law, Sir Bobby Charlton and George Best at the stadium.
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Murphy managed one of Wales’ most successful teams, which reached the quarter-finals of the 1958 World Cup
A special tribute to Murphy from Sir Alex was played at the ceremony attended by hundreds of fans, Murphy family members and sculptor Alan Herriot.
Richard Arnold, the club’s chief executive, said: “It is fantastic that the statue is erected in Old Trafford’s Stretford End, overlooking the old ashes football fields where Jimmy would coach the Babes.
“A special place, on a special day, for a special person in Manchester United history.”
Murphy’s son, Jimmy Junior, said it was an “extremely proud moment” for the whole family.
He added: “Dad will be touched to see so many people here celebrating his 43 years at the club.
“Dad always said that if he could stay at Old Trafford, he would. It came true today.”
