Newcastle starlet Jacob Murphy eyes historic Premier League clash with twin brother Josh at Cardiff
They used to spend their Saturdays washing pots at the family’s restaurant but the former two-quid-an-hour kitchen workers are feasting at the top table in football
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THE Murphy twins used to spend their Saturdays washing pots at the family’s restaurant.
But this Saturday it will be business on the pitch — and there will not be a dish cloth in sight.
That is because Jacob and Josh have gone from two-quid-an-hour kitchen workers to Premier League footballers.
And this weekend the wingers will be on opposite teams for the first time, looking to become just the second twins — after Michael and Will Keane — to face each other in the top flight.
The Murphys came through the ranks together at Norwich, before Jacob flew the nest when he signed for Newcastle last year for £12million.
Now his identical twin brother Josh, 23, has followed suit by leaving the Canaries for Cardiff for £11m.
And ahead of Saturday’s meeting, Toon ace Jacob admitted: “We’ve never played against each other competitively so it’ll be strange having to tackle him.
“We speak every day on the phone but we are big lads now and we have to get on with our jobs. We will swap shirts at full-time. Or maybe half-time and have a go on each other’s teams!
“Josh has already tried to have a friendly bet with me on who will score most goals but I’m not a betting person. We don’t have to gamble on that but I hope it is a good season for both of us.
“Each club will say they’ve got the better twin — but I am ready for that.”
The Murphys clearly now have a healthy sibling rivalry.
But growing up — and unlike most brothers — Jacob says he was never competitive with Josh.
Instead, he admits he would not be where he is today without his “football buddy”.
Jacob said: “I always had someone to play football with. It stayed like that through our childhood.
“It was nice to have a football buddy. And when we used to practise in the garden, we’d stick little brother in the goal.
"We just loved the game, helping each other to get better.
“Aged 16 was when it started to become real and we thought, ‘Wow, this could become a job for us’ — and it did.
“We never had a rivalry. We just supported and helped each other. We’d bring each other up if one wasn’t doing as well. We were there for each other.
“It was important at Norwich that I had his back and he had my back. We looked after each other.
“I find it strange how other siblings are so competitive because me and my brother are not against each other.”
The Murphys were born in London and raised in Norfolk but grew up as Newcastle fans because of their dad John and mum Maxine, who hail from the North East.
As teenagers they were kept grounded by their parents, who run their own American diner, Arbuckles, which has a restaurant in Downham Market in Norfolk and one in Ely in Cambridgeshire.
And Jacob explained: “Me and Josh used to work there on a Saturday night. We’d be on the pot wash.
“I used to hate it but it was my mum and dad’s way of showing us, ‘Look, if you don’t stick at football, this is what you will be doing’.
“They did pay us but it was £2 an hour or something, aged 14 or 15. It was more to teach us life lessons.”
Jacob is now being taught lessons by his Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez, who is bringing him through slowly.
The ex-England Under-21 international started only 13 Premier League games last season and came off the bench 12 times, scoring one goal in a 3-1 defeat at Manchester City.
But Jacob insisted: “I don’t see last season as frustrating.
“It was a building block — learning about the league and my team-mates.
“It felt special to run out in my first games. I still remind myself of how big the club is and when I look down on the shirt and see the crest it makes me smile.
“The manager wants to break me in slowly and when he feels I am ready he will chuck me in.”
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Jacob will certainly hope to be chucked in at the Cardiff City Stadium to face Josh, who made his Bluebirds debut off the bench at Bournemouth last weekend.
So who will his Newcastle-mad parents be supporting on Saturday?
Jacob smiled: “The family will be torn! They have the Newcastle loyalty as fans but also the son loyalty. They will want us both to score and for it to be a draw.
“But I want a Jacob Murphy goal and a Newcastle win!”