Former Arsenal, AFC Wimbledon and Crawley Town forward joins Horsham FC

A former Arsenal academy graduate and youth England international at under-16, under-17, and under-19 levels – as well as a representative of Republic of Ireland under-21s – Murphy brings a wealth of experience to the Hornets.

His career has spanned both domestic and international football, including a spell in the Eerste Divisive with Dutch side SC Telstar.

The 34-year-old’s journey has taken him across the English Football League and National League with notable spells at Oldham Athletic, Dagenham & Redbridge, Crawley Town, AFC Wimbledon, Forest Green Rovers and Yeovil Town.

More recently, he hit clinical form with divisional rivals Chelmsford City, where he notched an impressive 25 goals in 38 appearances.

Having faced Horsham in the FA Cup while with Dorking Wanderers last season, Murphy had already formed a positive impression of the club.

He said: “As the game unfolded, I was thinking ‘these are a good outfit’.

“You got the better of us that day and then I saw the run you went on.

“Beating some good teams along the way showed that it wasn’t just a fluke.

“Combining that cup run with league success was astonishing.”

Conversations with former teammate Sami El-Abd and Horsham manager Dominic Di Paola only strengthened Murphy’s interest.

He added: “The manager told me it’s a really good place with lots of good people.

“I thought, I’d love to come and be a part of that.”

His arrival adds top-level experience to Horsham’s ranks, but Murphy sees the opportunity as mutually beneficial.

He said: “I’m here to learn too – to bring experience, goals, and try to be a good human being on and off the pitch.

“The atmosphere when I played here was electric, so I’m really looking forward to being part of it.”