JACOB MURPHY sent a direct message to £55m new boy Anthony Elanga as Newcastle thrashed Carlisle United.
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And the star watched on from the sidelines as they beat National League outfit Carlisle 4-0 in a behind-closed-doors friendly at their Darsley Park training ground on Saturday, with legend Mark Hughes at the helm for the visitors.
Murphy, the man who Elanga will be in direct competition with for the right-wing spot, wasted little time in showing he is up for the battle.
A long-ranger from Sean Longstaff gave Toon the advantage at the break before Joelinton made it two.
Murphy then got his name on the scoresheet, rounding the goalkeeper and a couple of defenders following Harvey Barnes’ cutback.
And not just content with a goal, the 30-year-old turned provider as his cross was backheeled home by Ben Parkinson to finish the rout.
Murphy enjoyed his best campaign at the club last term, scoring seven goals and producing nine assists.
Eight of them were for hotshot striker Alexander Isak – someone that his new rival Elanga cannot wait to link up with having done so already numerous times for Sweden.
The 23-year-old ex-Manchester United ace said: “It’s someone I know really well on and off the pitch.
“Being able to play at club level will make things a lot better. We’ll be able to improve our connection even more. So it’s exciting, and not just with Alex, but all around the team.
“The likes of Harvey, of Jacob, who’s done fantastic last season, everyone in midfield and defence all played a part to make sure this team got to the Champions League.
“That was the goal last season and they managed to achieve it. Each and every single one of them played a huge part and I’m just looking forward to playing with everyone.”;
Most of Elanga’s new team-mates returned to start pre-season training on Monday.
However, others such as Isak and Tino Livramento are expected to return this week having been given extra time off due to international duty.
Elanga looks set to get his first run-out in black and white next weekend when Newcastle travel to Parkhead to face Celtic.
They then jet out to Singapore to take on Arsenal in a friendly before flying to South Korea to take on a K-League XI and then Tottenham.
Elanga should then get his first taste of St. James’ Park as a home player as Toon conclude their pre-season with home matches against Espanyol and Atletico Madrid before kicking off the Premier League campaign at Aston Villa on August 16.
