Murray’s battle to overcome the fears

But for cruel misfortune, Matt Murray could have been lining up for England against Germany tonight in front of a 74,000 crowd.

After appearing for England’s under-21 and forging a reputation as one of the country’s most talented and promising young keepers, Murray appeared to have the world at his feet.

Instead, the luckless Wolves shot-stopper is preparing for a League One clash for Hereford against Northampton in front of a few thousand hardy souls.

Injuries have accounted for almost eight out of the 10 seasons Murray has been a professional at Wolves. Understandably, the mental scars run deeper than the physical ones as the brilliant 27-year-old makes his way back from a potentially career-threatening cruciate ligament reconstruction in his left knee.

That’s why, without a hint of exaggeration, he describes his comeback game for Hereford last Saturday as the most nerve-wracking of his career.

It also explains why a calming phone call to his psychologist to ease him through the battle in his head was required before he could confront any centre forward.

“The mental battle is huge and that’s why Saturday’s game for Hereford was so big – that was harder than making my debut because it was the third time I’ve come back from a long lay-off,” said Murray, who kept a clean sheet in a 3-0 win over Cheltenham.

“You think ‘will my knee hold out? How will I do? And, if I don’t do it at Hereford in League One, then what’s going to happen?’

“It was about getting through the game – everything else was a bonus because it’s been so long since I’ve played.

“I still feel I’ve got a lot to prove. That’s why Saturday was a big psychological thing for me and I need to push on.

“It’s all about getting rid of the fears. I spoke to my psychologist last Friday because I do have those fears. Things come into your mind and you need the words to keep them out and stay positive.

“I was in a happy place last Saturday but that’s the thing about football – you can be high one moment and low the next and I’ve got to try to stay level-headed.”

Injuries have left the 27-year-old one-time England hopeful to admit his biggest ambition right now is to play a first team game for Wolves.

“I’d love to know where I’d be if I hadn’t had the injuries, but it’s just one of those things – I might have played a different game and got an injury that finished my career so I try to always look at it positively,” said the hugely popular Wolves keeper.

“I’ve lost so much football. It’s annoying because it’s not as if I’ve picked injuries up from not looking after myself, I’ve just been unlucky.

“I remember when I went on loan to Kingstonian at 19, I kicked the ball and ended up doing my cruciate and thought, ‘what’s going on?’

“It shouldn’t happen. I’m a big, strong healthy guy and I eat the right stuff. But I’ve just suffered freak injuries and that’s when it hurts.

“If you come out of the team through lack of injuries, you just think ‘I’ll work hard’, you’ve only got yourself to blame.

“But when you’re injured, you’re going backwards because the other keepers are progressing by training and playing League football.

“So it’s mentally and physically hard.”

Murray’s cruelly-scarred record has left him with modest aims.

“My target is still to play 10 more games for Wolves – if I can get into Wolves’ first team and play 10 games in a row, I’ll know my knee will be cool and I can build on that,” he said. “But my first target is to play one game for Wolves”

Again, his caution is entirely understandable after so many setbacks.

“Every time I’ve come back from injury, I’ve been fit but then the nightmare has continued with something else I’ve done,” he said. “I keep saying that, fingers crossed, that’s me done (for injuries) now.”

A slightly different ‘mental battle’ is no doubt being fought by Hennessey as he grapples with his first team exile after losing his place to Carl Ikeme.

And Murray blasted away the myth once and for all that there had been any unrest between Hennessey and anyone.

“No one’s been sulking – everyone’s worked hard,” he said.

“When I’ve played, Wayne and Carl supported me and when Wayne was playing, we supported him, and now Carl’s playing, we’ve all got to support him.

“Wayne’s done that.

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