After brief spells at Charlton Athletic and Tottenham Hotspur he joined Fulham, which he helped reach the 2010 UEFA Europa League final, and ended his career at Blackburn Rovers.

[5][6] In November 2016, as the United Kingdom football sexual abuse scandal erupted, Murphy also strongly defended Gradi's reputation.

[7] Murphy made his first-team debut for Crewe as a 16-year-old on 7 December 1993, coming on as a substitute in a 3–2 away win over Bradford City in the Football League Trophy.

[8] Murphy generally played as a deep-lying forward for Crewe, scoring several spectacular long range and set piece goals.

During the 2001–02 season, when he established himself as a key member of the side, Liverpool's assistant manager Phil Thompson praised Murphy, citing his versatility and describing him as 'probably the most tactically aware player that we have.

[11][12] He developed a habit of scoring the deciding goal in 1–0 wins away to Manchester United, a feat he achieved three times in four seasons (2000–01,[13] 2001–02[14] and 2003–04).

[citation needed] Murphy scored his first Tottenham goal in a 2–1 win over Portsmouth on 1 October 2006 after only 39 seconds of the game.

One goal, a rare header scored on 11 May 2008, gave Fulham a 1–0 win away at Portsmouth and ensured their Premier League survival.

[21] Following the match, Murphy highlighted manager Roy Hodgson's "key role" in the team's avoiding relegation.

[24] On 9 November 2008, Murphy scored his 100th goal at club level with a penalty kick, as Fulham beat Newcastle United 2–1.

[29] Murphy missed two months in the early part of the season with a knee ligament problem,[30] but went on to captain Fulham to their first European final.

[37] Just one day after signing a new contract, Murphy scored his first goal of the season and then another, as Fulham beat his former club Tottenham 4–0 in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

[40] After making forty-nine appearances and scoring seven times in all competitions, he was released by Fulham at the end of the season as he and Martin Jol, who had replaced Hodgson's successor, Hughes, could not agree on a contract extension.

[49] Murphy scored on his debut for the England national under-18 team on 24 July 1994, in a 3–3 draw away to Norway in a friendly, which he entered as a substitute.

[51] Murphy made his debut for the England under-21 team on 9 September 1997 with a start in a 1–0 home win over Moldova in 1998 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification.

[53][55] Murphy was called up to England's squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan as a replacement for the injured Steven Gerrard, but had to withdraw after he suffered a foot injury.