Murphy will be key for Motherwell

Motherwell v AS Nancy

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MOTHERWELL manager Mark McGhee has no qualms about handing teenager Jamie Murphy his fifth start in one of the biggest games in his club’s history tonight.

And McGhee even compared the 19-year-old to Liverpool striker Robbie Keane, who was handed his Wolves debut by McGhee.

Murphy has started the last two matches, scoring once, after a lively display off the bench in a 2-1 defeat at Rangers.

McGhee said: “I gave Robbie Keane his debut at 16, because I knew he was a good player – and in his first game of the season, he went out and scored two goals when we won 2-0 at Norwich.

“People were surprised I even had him in the squad, and he never looked back. Jamie Murphy in some ways reminds me of Robbie Keane, if at a slightly later stage in his career.

“If you are good enough, you are old enough.”

Midfielder Stephen Hughes, who himself made his senior debut as a teenager with Rangers, agrees Murphy can be a key weapon as Well look to overturn a 1-0 deficit.

“He has brought something different every time he has come in, whether it’s Nancy or St Mirren,” said Hughes.

“He is unpredictable at times – and when gets the ball, he just goes on a run.

“Some teams can’t live with it because he is quick, and he is a good finisher as well. Jamie will relish the opportunity to play in Europe – and he can be a big player for us.”

McGhee is also revelling in the European stage and described this match as the biggest in his managerial career.

Nancy boss Pablo Correa angered McGhee in the first leg by calling for yellow cards and fouls before going down the tunnel without shaking hands.

“I just felt their attitude was that we didn’t deserve to be on the same pitch,” said McGhee, who won the Cup Winners’ Cup with Aberdeen as a player.

“Every single challenge, no matter how trivial, was greeted by wails of anguish as if we weren’t allowed to touch them.

“They showed us contempt that we didn’t deserve.”