Murphy must wait to hear of his fate

The winger was voted Player’s Player of the Year at Tuesday night’s Player of the Year awards ceremony - an honour he was surprised and humbled to pick up.

Earlier this week, Dons manager Karl Robinson said he’d love to buy Murphy, who scored seven goals and led the number of assists this season, from parent club Norwich.

Murphy though admitted he wasn’t sure what plans the Canaries have for him next season.

“We’ll have to see what happens in the summer,” he said. “I don’t know where my future lies with Norwich, we’ll just have to see.

“It’s nice to hear (Robinson’s ambition to buy him). I’ve never heard anything like that, because managers have normally spoken about buying older, experienced players, so for him to say it about me is a massive honour. We’ve just got to see what happens now.

“I thought I’d have to come in and work for my place and that I’d struggle because I was relatively new. I’d played a few games but only really as a sub. But as soon as I arrived, I was made to feel welcome and from then, I went from strength to strength. I’ve loved playing here.

“The club will have a big place in my heart, I’ve loved the players, fans and management so we’ll have to wait and see.

“The highlight has been the good times and playing my first full season. I’ve made some close friends, the manager has been great to me and playing week in, week out in the Championship has been amazing.

“My all round game has improved, but I’m by no means the finished article. I want to keep improving and be the best player I can be.

“Aside from the relegation, it has been a good season and a great club for me. The lads have been exceptional, one of the best groups I’ve ever been a part of.

“But I’ve made some friends for life here, and I’d love to keep in contact with them all. Maybe they won’t want to with me though, I know how much I annoy them all! I’ve loved my time here, it has been a close knit family.”

Murphy went into the final game of the season tied as leading scorer with Nicky Maynard. And after setting Maynard up to score Dons’ only goal in the 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, Murphy said he’d predicted what would happen.

He said: “I said at the Player of the Year awards dinner the other night that if we were both playing, I’d set him up to win it and it’s exactly what we did! I know how much he loves scoring goals so I was delighted for him to get it.

“It’s a game we should have won, we shipped an early goal but we came back into it. And with 10 men we’ve come back into the game but we let it slip - that has been the story of our season.”