Callum Wilson has admitted that he was 'surprised' by Jacob Murphy's finishing when he first joined Newcastle United after witnessing his team-mate take free-kicks with both feet.
A rejuvenated Murphy quickly caught the eye of club staff last summer following a productive loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday.
Unlike a year previously, Steve Bruce opted to name Murphy in his Premier League squad and the converted wing-back has made some crucial contributions this season.
Murphy scored a late free-kick at Wolves back in October to rescue a point for the Magpies and the story behind that goal gives you an insight into his desire to make the breakthrough at his boyhood club once and for all.
As ChronicleLive previously revealed, Murphy has been working with a sports psychologist, a personal chef and an analyst to make the most of his time away from the training ground.
On the eve of that game at Wolves, which was his first Premier League start in 690 days, Murphy had been studying clips of goalkeeper Rui Patricio in his hotel room. The 26-year-old noted how 'anything low and hard' would catch the shot-stopper out - and so it proved.
Murphy went on to score another important goal, against Burnley last month, and also set up Dwight Gayle's winner against West Brom, Ciaran Clark's equaliser against Aston Villa and what proved to be a winning goal from Joe Willock against Sheffield United.
Bruce has chopped and changed at right wing-back since taking charge in 2019, but Murphy has nailed down that position since the Newcastle head coach switched to a back three last month.
Wilson has been impressed with Murphy's displays this season and the striker got a hint of just what his team-mate could do in the final third during one of their first training sessions together.
"He surprised me when I came here with his finishing," Wilson told FIFA Versus.
"He was taking free-kicks from outside the box with mannequins with his left foot and they were flying in the top corner and I was thinking, 'Is this kid right footed or left footed?' He can take them with his right foot as well.
"I was like, 'Yeah, this kid is serious.'"
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