Speaking recently to TalkSPORT, Danny Murphy discussed being told by Rafael Benitez that he was not wanted at Liverpool.
Having joined Liverpool from Crewe Alexandra in what was a £2.7 million deal back in 1997, Murphy went on to make 249 appearances for the club over a seven-year spell, scoring 44 goals and providing 31 assists along the way.
In his time on Merseyside, the central midfielder won the FA Cup, two League Cups, the UEFA Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and the Community Shield.
However, shortly after the appointment of Benitez as the Reds manager in 2004, Murphy was sold to Charlton Athletic in a £2.93 million deal.
And, speaking recently to TalkSPORT, the 43-year-old revealed how he felt when the Spaniard informed him he was no longer wanted by the club, and the regrets he has about his eventual decision to agree to leave Liverpool.
He said: “I mean, I hated him at the time. I’ve lost that now, I understand what he was doing and he was being honest. He said to me, ‘Look, I want to bring in some of my own players, you’re not going to be part of the first XI. It’s unlikely you’re going to get back in the team. If you want to stay, then there’s not much point. I know you like playing; I’m bringing in a couple of midfielders, I’ve already got plenty of midfielders.’
“Then he told me who had come in for me – which was Tottenham, Charlton and Everton. I tried to plead with him a little bit, and then he repeated the fact that my time was done, really.
“Looking back, I do appreciate honesty from managers. I hated him for it. But the next couple of days were a couple of the hardest days of my life. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t want to leave.
“I had great contracts on the table and choices of managers who really wanted me and made me feel good. I still say to this day, I should have stayed a bit longer.”
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TIF Thoughts on Danny Murphy’s comments regarding being sold by Liverpool…
From Murphy’s comments, it is clear that Benitez’s decision to sell him did hurt the player. Despite the fact that he had, in his own words, good offers from other clubs, it would seem that his acceptance of the manager’s decision to sell him is something that he regrets, as he states that he wishes he remained at Liverpool a little while longer.
However, Murphy did go on to have a successful career after leaving Merseyside, playing 60 games for Charlton, scoring eight goals and providing five assists, and 211 games for Fulham, where he scored 29 goals and provided 25 assists, even helping the club to reach the final of the Europa League in 2009/10.