Murray loving life on the Latics touchline

Paul Murray on his arrival at Boundary Park for a second time last season.

PAUL Murray could have been forgiven for wondering if he had made a mistake coming back to Athletic last season.

He warmed up with the rest of the matchday squad only four times - and didn’t play once.

His playing career thus ended just after half-time in a 1-1 draw for Hartlepool at Walsall last November. But he has no real regrets.

“I knew it would come to an end eventually,” he said. “The manager (John Hughes) wanted to try his own players, which was fair enough.

“I came here looking to play or be involved. I was on the bench and quite happy with that, but then I started taking the reserves, which was the next step in what I wanted to do.

“I had 19 years and played 532 games. I have had a good career and am now looking forward to doing something else.”

Paul Dickov, the manager who brought him back to Boundary Park after a 12-year absence, left only a few days later, in early February, which didn’t help Murray’s playing chances.

But there was no sulking. At 36 he was too mature to throw tantrums.

Murray instead saw an opportunity — and in taking charge of the second team to help caretaker boss Tony Philliskirk, discovered a new pleasure of the game.

“It is the same with anyone. I am sure when the gaffer (Lee Johnson) took his first game here he didn’t know what he would be like on the sidelines.

“It was nervy but after that first game I realised what I was about. It gave me as much enjoyment as playing and scoring. I got as much buzz, if not more, from taking and winning with the reserves.”

He also embarked on a role scouting the opposition on match days, which has continued under Johnson’s management.

It handed Murray, already a veteran of hundreds of games, the chance to ponder how the club’s most promising young players could slot into the first team.

It gives him plenty of satisfaction that so many made the leap under pressure as Athletic fought relegation last season.

“I had a factor in getting their confidence up that saw them jump to the first team. It was nice for me to see.”

Athletic’s first-team coach will aim to guide his crop of young players to better things this season.

He draws on his experience to pinpoint two crucial factors for 2013-14 — a solid defence and a strong work ethic.