Ex full back David Murphy hands his signing on fee to Hibs

Last updated : 22 January 2008 By Steve Forbes

Murphygoalibrox2.jpg picture by 1875steve

Former Hibs full back has decided to hand his transfer fee back to the club as a thank you for giving him his chance to impress at Easter Road.

The 23-year-old signed for
Birmingham City in a £2m transfer on Friday, which could eventually rise to £2.3m.

Hibs received £1.5m up front for the player, they will also receive a further £500,000 after the player plays so many games for the Blues, The Hibees will also net a further £200,000 if Birmingham survive in the Premiership this season.

As Murphy was entitled to 10% of any transfer fee, the final sum of money that the ex Hibee will inject into the club's youth structure could reach £230,000.

Fellow Birmingham City player Gary O'Connor was also thought to have handed his £160,000 slice back to Hibs, when the Hibees sold him to Lokomotiv Moscow in 2006 for £1.6m

Scott Brown also handed Hibs part of his signing on fee, he is thought to have pumped £250,000 into the Hibernian Youth Academy.

"I want that money to go back to
Edinburgh so it can be invested in the future of Hibs.

"I feel it's a fitting way to thank the club for everything they have done for me over the last three and a half years. I just felt it would be nice to put something back in and it is my way of saying thank you to the supporters who were so kind to me throughout my time up there.

"By putting this money into the youth set-up hopefully they will get the benefit in the long run.

"The fans know that I am an English boy and for me the Premiership is the greatest league in the world.

"When I got the chance to join a club like Birmingham and work for a manager like Alex McLeish it was simply too good an opportunity for me to turn down.

"But I leave Hibs with no bad feelings and I hope that by putting something back in it will help them to have a lot of good years to come.

"I wanted to get back to
England and I felt this was the right time to move.

"I'm just grateful that Hibs and
Birmingham were able to reach an agreement on the size of my fee and grant me the opportunity I was after.

"I feel like I owe Hibs a great deal for helping me to fulfil my ambitions and that's why I have left them with a parting gift."

A wonderful gesture from a cracking player and servant to the club.

Sir Murph, we salute you.

Thanks once again to the Alan Rennie and the Hibernian Interactive team for the use of the photo, you can join Hibs Interactive, and view ALL of the Hibees goals this season, as well as watching games LIVE on the internet(Only if you live OUTSIDE the UK) by clicking on the following link:

http://www.hiberniantv.co.uk/hiindex.php

Tell us what you think of this news on the www.Hibernian-Mad.co.uk message board, at the link below.

http://www.hibernian-mad.co.uk/mboard/loadboard.asp