It is often said these days that the Premier League's bigger clubs in particular neglect to delve into the Football League when it comes to bolstering their squads.
Wilfried Zaha recently joined Manchester United from Crystal Palace, but apart from that, it is a transfer that rarely happens.
However, it was a more regular occurrence in years gone by and on this day in 1997, Liverpool snapped up 20-year-old Danny Murphy, who had just been promoted to the second tier of English football with Crewe Alexandra for an initial fee of £1.5m.
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The midfielder made 16 appearances during his first campaign with his boyhood club, but during the next season he struggled to nail down a starting spot and so was loaned back to Crewe for the remainder of the year.
Reports had suggested that he would be sold in the summer of 1999, but often playing on the right side of midfield, Murphy was able to force his way into the starting lineup on a regular basis.
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He would go on to win one FA Cup, two League Cups, one UEFA Cup, one UEFA Super Cup and a Charity Shield during his seven-year stint at Anfield.
Murphy also ensured that he would forever remain a favourite of the Kop when he scored the decisive goal in three 1-0 victories over arch rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Now with Blackburn Rovers in the Championship, Murphy initially continued his career after Liverpool with Charlton Athletic, before two further spells in London with Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham.
Liam Apicella
