Tom Murphy

DOB: 19th December 1991

Position: Winger

Season of first appearance: 2011/12

Season of last appearance: 2018/19

Full Appearances: 52

Substitute: 15

Goals: 10

Also played for:

Gillingham (0+1,0), Ashford Town, Lewes, Whitehawk, Thurrock, Farnborough Town, Horsham, Dover Athletic, Maidstone United, Eastbourne Borough, Dartford, Tonbridge Angels, Cray Wanderers, Hythe Town.

Player Profile:

Tricky 5' 11" tall wide player who featured in the Kent Schools team before starting his senior career with Gillingham. Tom played in the Gills' youth and reserve teams during the 2008/09 season and he also made a one-off appearance for the first team. Tom came on after 74 minutes of a 1-0 home defeat against Colchester in the Football League Trophy on 7.10.08 and he was only 16 at the time.

He stayed with the Gills for the 2009/10 campaign and, towards the end of 2009, Tom was loaned to Isthmian League Division 1 South club Ashford for the remainder of the season.

He scored four times in 21 league outings for the Nuts & Bolts and three of Tom's goals came in three consecutive matches during March 2010.

He was released by Gillingham at the end of the season and in August 2010 signed for Conference South side Lewes.

He scored five goals from 30 appearances for the Rooks but in February 2011 was released by Lewes.

He then had a very brief spell with Whitehawk where he played once in the Isthmian League Division 1 South before joining Thurrock before the end of February 2011.

Tom spent the rest of the 2010/11 campaign with the Conference South club and played alongside future Margate winger Matt Bodkin for Thurrock.

In the summer of 2011, Tom played in a friendly for Horsham against Farnborough and immediately after the game Farnborough asked him to join them. He then spent a few months with the Conference South outfit before signing for Horsham in December 2011.

He made his debut for the Hornets in a 4-1 home defeat against Leatherhead in the Isthmian League Premier Division on 26.12.11 and Tom went on to make a total of seven appearances in all competitions without scoring.

In February 2012, he joined Margate and Horsham manager Hugo Langton was upset by the fact that Tom had trained with Margate prior to his transfer being completed. Tom had also trained with Welling and Margate manager Chris Kinnear soon resolved the dispute with Horsham. He also spoke to the Isle of Thanet Gazette about Tom and said: "He's a decent player and very quick. He can play anywhere but I might use him through the middle."

Tom made his debut as a substitute in a 3-0 defeat at East Thurrock in the Isthmian League Premier Division on 18.2.12 and then started for the first time in a game at Kingstonian on 20.2.12. He got the Margate goal in a 2-1 defeat and then started the next match before featuring as a sub in three consecutive games.

Tom returned to the starting line-up on 13.3.12 when he wore the number nine shirt as Margate took on Harrow at Hartsdown Park and he got the only goal of the game four minutes from time with a deft lob over the visiting keeper. He made it back-to-back goals with a strike in a 2-1 defeat at Lowestoft on 24.3.12 and from then on Tom was a fixture in the side for the last few weeks of the season, playing either as a striker or on the wing.

In its report on a 2-1 home win over Horsham on 31.3.12, the Thanet Times said Tom "showed what a talented player he is" and on 7.4.12 he scored twice in a 3-0 win over Hendon at Wembley FC. Tom told Margate's website: "I thought I should have had a few more as well but I'm getting in positions and getting chances so hopefully I can put a few more away." He finished the campaign having scored five times in 16 outings (four as sub).

Tom was in good form ahead of the 2012-13 season and scored six times in Margate's friendlies including braces in a 4-0 win over Erith & Belvedere at Welling on 21.7.12 and a 3-0 home win over Bromley on 5.8.12. He made his first competitive start as Margate beat visitors Hendon 2-0 in an Isthmian League Premier Division game at Hartsdown Park on 18.8.12 and the Thanet Times praised him for "a superb run down the left" which led to Richard Avery scoring Margate's opening goal. Tom was a fixture on the wing for the next two months apart from in minor cup ties and on 1.9.12 he scored his first goal of the campaign in a 2-0 win at Bognor Regis.

Tom's next goal came in a 3-0 home win over Faversham in an FA Cup replay on 11.9.12 and afterwards Chris Kinnear told the Isle of Thanet Gazette: "Tommy Murphy caused their defence a load of problems, but then again he would for any team. The boy just runs and runs, he should be nicknamed Forrest Gump."

Tom then made it back-to-back goals with a strike in a 2-0 win over Enfield Town at Hartsdown Park on 15.9.12. The Thanet Times described it as an "absolute stunner" as he picked the ball up on the halfway line "superbly skipped over three challenges...before unleashing a rising drive that crashed into the goal" from the left-hand corner of the penalty area. Tom played down his effort in an interview with the Gazette and said: "I just picked it up and kept going. It sort of broke and I just hit it really. It was a good finish I suppose."

The Thanet Times said he was "the most potent threat for Margate" in a 2-1 home defeat against Maidstone in the FA Trophy on 29.9.12 and, on 20.10.12, Tom scored in a 1-1 draw at Thurrock but, after a 1-1 draw with visitors Hastings on 27.10.12, he only featured once as a substitute in Margate's next three matches.

Tom was back in the side for a 2-1 win at Hampton & Richmond on 1.12.12 and then kept his place for the next three games but, after he'd played in a 3-1 win over Carshalton at Hartsdown Park on 11.12.12, he had another spell on the bench and came on in five of the next six matches.

Tom made his first start for over two months as Margate lost 1-0 at Metropolitan Police on 20.2.13 and he then enjoyed a good run in the side, starting each of the next 11 games. The club's website said Tommy "looked Margate's most dangerous player" in a 0-0 draw with Hendon at Wembley FC on 2.3.13 and then said he was "always dangerous on the left" in its report on a 3-0 home win over Bognor Regis on 9.3.13.

After a 3-0 win at Enfield Town on 16.3.13, Margate's caretaker manager Craig Holloway said: "Tommy Murphy had a very good game." He then fell out of favour following a 4-0 defeat at Carshalton on 6.4.13 and Tommy only started one of the next four matches. He featured as a sub in the other three but, after playing from the start in a 2-2 draw with Bury on 20.4.13, Tommy kept his place for the last two games of the season, the second of which was a 0-0 draw against visitors Harrow on 27.4.13. He ended the campaign having scored four times in 46 outings (ten as sub).

In July 2013, Tom featured in Margate's first four pre-season games, scoring in a 5-1 win at Ashford on 9.7.13 and a 5-2 win at Hythe on 13.7.13, but he then played in some of Dover's friendlies and, at the start of August 2013, the Conference South club managed by former Margate boss Chris Kinnear gave him a one-year contract.

Tom went on to have a successful spell at Dover, winning promotion via the Conference South play-offs in 2013-14. Although Tom was an unused sub in the play-off final itself that Dover won 1-0 at Ebbsfleet on 10.5.14.

He was in Dover's team when they lost 4-0 to Crystal Palace at Crabble in an FA Cup Third Round tie on 4.1.15.

In April 2015, his contract was extended until the end of 2015-16.

He remained in the National League when he signed for newly promoted Maidstone United in the summer of 2016. He was loaned to Eastbourne Borough in November that season and then joined Dartford on a permanent deal.

In November 2018, Tom returned to Margate on a month's loan from Dartford. He played four times (plus once as a sub) and scored once, in a 2-2 draw at home to Wingate on 8.12.19.

In December 2018, he was loaned to Tonbridge Angels by Dartford.

Tom joined Cray Wanderers ahead of 2019-20 but moved on to Hythe Town a few months later.