Barnsley CEO studying hard for his new role

The 33-year-old American was announced as Gauthier Ganaye's replacement last week, having held administrative roles in the MLS and Germany.

Murphy can be excused for not knowing too much about a provincial club before he joined, but he has been swatting up on the Reds since.

“I have been brought up to speed with the history and rich tradition at this club, especially in the Championship,” he said.

“I have built my knowledge base and have watched nearly all the games in the second half of last season and the videos online.

“We want to bring in young players who have a value who we can grow – but most importantly help the team be successful.

“We have got ourselves in the Championship and at some point, hopefully in the near future, we can push for promotion.”

Murphy turned to recruitment after his playing days ended.

Having featured for DC United and New York Cosmos, Murphy knew his limitations as a player.

“People say it is a dream to play in England if you are from the States,” he added. “But I cannot say that I realistically thought I ever would.

“The closest I got was with the Cosmos when we played in Paul Scholes’s testimonial.

“It was a little bit above my level. To be honest, I was not that good, I just ran around and kicked people and could run.”