Identical twins Josh and Jacob Murphy are on a ‘winner takes all’ collision course.
Over the second weekend of the 2018-19 Premier League season Josh is intent on making his home debut for Cardiff City against Jacob’s Newcastle United.
They will be facing each other on opposing teams for the first time in their lives. Add in that they were both schoolboy Newcastle fans and it’s clear this will be an intriguing match in front of a sell-out attendance.
If both are selected it will be only the second time that twins have played against each other in the competition, following Michael Keane, then of Burnley, and twin brother Will (Hull City) two years ago.
Josh, Cardiff’s £10m signing from Norwich City this summer: “It will be nice for our family, before and after the game, but for those 90 minutes it’ll be ‘winner takes all’.
“Jacob is a Newcastle player, I’m a Cardiff player and for that 90 minutes everything goes out of the window.
“If I have to crunch him in a tackle, I’m going to have to do that.”
They usually speak to each other every day, but they have agreed to suspend communication until after the big match.
“We’ve agreed not to speak to each other too much because it’s going to be a weird feeling. I’ve only ever played against Jacob in training.
“Usually, we talk all the time. Last season, after he joined Newcastle, we talked about the Premier League and the players so he’s given me a few tips.”
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Josh was chatting to journalists after a Cardiff City training session at Liskeard FC in Cornwall, speaking politely and confidently in a soft tone.
He started for the Bluebirds in their 1-1 draw at Torquay United, scoring for his new team on a night when they struggled to find second half fluency.
By the time Torquay equalised, though, Josh and Bobby Reid had been taken off.
Josh, though, admits it feels strange to be apart from a twin brother.
“It feels weird when twins are apart,” says Josh. “Unless you’re a twin you’ll never really understand it. But we’re big boys and we can look after ourselves.”
When Chris Hughton, now in charge at Brighton, was Norwich manager he ordered the boys to wear different coloured boots so that he could tell them apart.
“We would always wear the same make of boots, same colour,” recalls Josh. “But the gaffer asked me to wear orange boots and Jacob went for blue. That way they could tell us apart.”
Now they are at opposite end of the country and Jacob has admitted: “The toughest thing about moving from Norwich to Newcastle was leaving Josh.
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“We’d always lived in the same house and now we’re at opposite ends of the country. It’s hard and strange, but we are always making sure the other one is okay.
“Obviously, there was the odd time when we were apart, when we were sent on loan or away with England, but that was always temporary. It never felt as permanent as this.”
The twins are hugely competitive, but not usually with each other. That could change when the Geordies take on the Bluebirds in South Wales next month.
“There isn’t any sort of sibling rivalry,” said Jacob. “We want to elevate each other, not bring the other one down.
“Me and Josh have always wanted the best for each other, there has never been any jealousy. Each of us is the other one’s biggest supporter.”
Josh,who is the younger twin by two minutes, and Jacob have always been in sync. They have grown up loving the same things, from toys to music to clothes.
“There were times when we lived together when we would get up for training, walk out of our bedrooms and were wearing the same outfits, same shoes, same tops and same bottoms,” says Jacob.
“We’d meet on the landing and laugh. We don’t finish each other’s sentences, but we know what the other one is going to say before they say it. Josh can be sat on the sofa and I’ll know what he is thinking.”
The Murphy boys believe they are telepathic on the pitch. When Norwich won the FA Youth Cup in 2014, beating Chelsea in the final, they seemed to know where the other would be or where they were moving to.
Newcastle paid £12m for Jacob last year, while the Bluebirds splashed out £10m on Josh.
The draw of playing Premier League football and the wise words of Warnock persuaded Josh to swap Norfolk for South Wales and he said: “As soon as the manager spoke to me, I was sold.
“It’s the biggest league in the world and you can’t turn down an opportunity like that. Mixing it with the big boys is all I’ve ever wanted to do and now I’ve got that chance.”
Warnock has described Cardiff City as a ‘bunch of nettles’ style club and Josh believes that style will help their cause in the top flight.
He played for Norwich against Cardiff last season and when was asked about that experience, Josh said: “Honestly and truthfully, Cardiff were a horrible team to play against.
“I had no time on the ball. They were on you like a rash and for the type of player I am, I hate that. If we can adapt that for the big boys in the Premier I’m sure a few of them might not fancy it. That might work in our favour.
“We have a fantastic back four and those defenders formed one of the best in the Championship. Now it’s about holding their own in the Premier League. They’ll be fine.
“We must grab the opportunity. On our day we can beat all the big teams.”
Josh and Jacob were born in Wembley in North West London, signed for Queens Park Rangers and then, at the age of 11, the family moved to Downham Market.
Parents John and Maxine did not want their boys going to high school in London. Younger brother Daniel was head chorister at Ely School, Cambridgeshire and is now a professional musician.
The twins have always been talented all-round sportsmen who managed to balance academic study with their time at Norwich City’s Football Academy.
Mum and dad both hail from Newcastle and that’s the team their sons supported growing up.
“They were the team we all supported, we didn’t have a choice,” said Jacob. “My nanna sent us the new strip every Christmas.
“My first game was against PSV Eindhoven in the Uefa Cup, Gary Speed scored the winner. When I climbed up the steps and saw St James’ Park for the first time, I was like wow, just wow.”
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John and Maxine, who run Arbuckles restaurant in Downham Market, will head up a large family contingent when their boys go head-to-head in the Premier League.
“They will all be in Cardiff to support their boys whatever the outcome and we’ll be together as a family after the game,” says Josh.
When the media interview with Josh was finished I said to him: “Craig Bellamy started his career at Norwich City – and look how far he progressed.”
“Wow, if I can follow in his footsteps I’ll be doing incredibly well,” he said with a grin.
Murphy brothers are the sixth twins to play in Premier League football – and only the second to play against each other.
Cardiff City’s Josh Murphy is set for a head-on collision with twin brother Jacob at Cardiff City Stadium next month.
They will be reunited on that day when Josh hopes to make his Bluebirds home debut, while Jacob is likely to be in Newcastle United’s team.
The twins came their way through the ranks at Norwich City together before Jacob joined Newcastle last year, while Josh signed for Cardiff this summer.
Will Keane (Hull City) and Michael Keane (Burnley)
The Keanes became the first twin brothers to be on opposing teams in the same Premier match, with Will’s Hull earning a 1-1 draw at Michael’s Burnley during September 2016.
Coincidentally, on the same day Norwich City sent Josh on for Jacob at Cardiff City on the same day – and he fired a late, late Canaries winner.
Norwich led 2-0, Anthony Pilkington netted two late goals to make it 2-2 and then Josh struck.
Martin and Marcus Olsson (Blackburn Rovers)
The Swedish full-backs played 10 matches together in 2011-12. Martin went on to play for Norwich and Swansea in the top flight.
Rafael and Fabio Da Silva (Manchester United)
The Brazilian twins won the 2010-11 Premier title together, playing three matches together. Rafael won two further league championships at Manchester United.
Fabio moved on to sign for Cardiff City.
Adam and James Chambers (West Bromwich Albion)
The Chambers were the second twins to play together in the Premier League, in a 2-1 defeat against Arsenal during the Baggies’ debut 2002-03 season
Ray and Rod Wallace (Leeds United)
The first twins to grace the competition. Rod played in all seven of Ray’s Premier appearances for Leeds United. Rod scored 45 goals in 197 PL matches