Norwich City struck gold with Wembley-born ace - he eventually earned them £12m Newcastle United windfall | OneFootball

Jacob Murphy was brilliant for Norwich City.

Jacob Murphy has been a divisive figure for much of his career, with fans never quite sure if he is as good as he often appears.

During the 2024–25 season, he has been nothing short of a revelation for Newcastle United. In truth, his resurgence can be traced back to the arrival of Eddie Howe at St James’ Park in 2021, under whose guidance Murphy has flourished.

Before that, he was a breakthrough star at Norwich City, where he emerged at Carrow Road alongside his twin brother, Josh. Both enjoyed promising spells with the Canaries, but it is Jacob who has gone on to enjoy the more successful career with his brother struggling to live up to the expectations following his £11 million move to Cardiff City in 2018.

Jacob Murphy may have only spent one full season as a first-team regular at Norwich, but it was a memorable one - and having received £12 million for his departure, the Canaries will no doubt look back on his time in East Anglia with a sense of fondness and satisfaction.

Jacob Murphy's Norwich City spell

Having made his debut for Norwich in 2014, Murphy initially spent time away from Carrow Road on loan, aiming to catch the eye of the coaching staff.

While he excelled at youth level, it took him a while to adapt to the men's game. Early loan spells at Swindon Town, Southend United and Scunthorpe United yielded limited success.

However, things began to turn around during the second half of the 2014–15 season and into 2015–16, with stints at Colchester United and then Coventry City. At the CBS Arena, he found his rhythm, registering an impressive 20-goal contributions in just 42 appearances across all competitions.

That was enough for then Canaries manager, Alex Neil, and he thrust Murphy into the limelight in the 2016-17 campaign. Murphy brought flair, pace and directness to the Norwich attack, and he finished the campaign with nine goals and eight assists in all competitions - a respectable return for a young winger finding his feet at senior level.

Jacob Murphy heads to Newcastle United

Having become a firm fixture in Norwich’s starting line-up, it was always likely that the summer of 2017 would bring attention. A number of Premier League clubs were said to be circling, including Crystal Palace, Southampton, Swansea City, West Bromwich Albion and Newcastle United.

It was the latter that followed through on their keenness and in mid-July they signed the 22-year-old for £12 million. For the Canaries, it was a healthy fee considering he had just one season of success and to this day it remains among the biggest transfer fees Norwich City have received.

Initially, the Magpies would have thought they had got the wrong end of the deal with loans away from the club and minimal goal returns punctuating his early time at St James' Park. But, the 2021 arrival of Eddie Howe changed all that, and he can now call himself one of the Premier League's best wingers.

Last season, he registered over 10 goal contributions, but this year he’s taken his game to another level, recording more than 20 in a direct, free-flowing Newcastle side that tasted League Cup success at Wembley, bringing an end to their trophy drought.

Yet it all began at Carrow Road, and had he not seized his opportunity during the 2016–17 campaign, his career might have taken a very different path indeed.