Jamie Murphy admits he is planning for life after football as he revealed the extra hours put in around galvanising Hibernian’s European bid to boost his skillset for later life.
The 31-year-old insists he is taking nothing for granted after rediscovering some of his best form to help boost the Easter Road side’s push for third spot in the Scottish Premiership as part of an attacking trifecta alongside red-hot Martin Boyle and Welsh hitman Christian Doidge.
The forward, who joined on an initial loan spell from Rangers last summer, ruptured his cruciate ligament in August 2018 and managed just four appearances before departing Ibrox for a temporary spell at Burton Albion last year.
It was enough to convince Jack Ross to bring him to Leith in the summer, with Murphy conceding he is desperate to make up for lost time by ensuring the men in green and white will be looking out their passports come the end of the campaign.
But that has not distracted the experienced forward from going back to school in an effort to ensure there is plenty more to come from him in the game even after hanging up his boots.
He told Sheffield United’s Inside United podcast: “We have a great chance of getting into Europe and hopefully finishing third this year.
“We’re fighting it out with a couple of other teams.
"But for me I had that bad injury and missed maybe two years of probably playing so it’s about playing football for me now. I enjoy it, I want to do the best I can.
“I want Hibs to reach the highest point they can, I want to be a part of that.
“Hopefully I can play until 35-plus but you never know. I am going to try and stick it out for as long as I can.”
He added: “Getting older, I’m starting to think about other things. I’m doing coaching badges, I’m doing a couple of online learning things, trying to prepare the best you can for what’s coming but first things first, I want to be successful at Hibs.”
