When Darren Murphy arrived at what was then Broadhall Way there was only one thought in the Irishman s mind. Cancel the other trials…this is where I want to start my English adventure. Ever since he was a youngster pretending to be Roy Keane in the play

When Darren Murphy arrived at what was then Broadhall Way there was only one thought in the Irishman's mind.

'Cancel the other trials...this is where I want to start my English adventure.'

Ever since he was a youngster pretending to be Roy Keane in the playground, Murphy dreamed of coming to England and, when his agent lined up several trials for the midfielder, that dream edged a little closer.

But as soon as Murphy met the Boro squad and the coaching staff there was no need for the player to see if the grass was greener elsewhere. He knew this was the kind of football environment he could thrive under and judging by his first few performances in a Boro shirt it's difficult to argue.

"I knew that I always wanted to come to England and when Stevenage came in I jumped at the chance," Murphy told The Comet.

"I was actually due to go on trial with a few clubs but as soon as I got to Stevenage Graham (Westley) and the staff here made me feel right at home and I decided that I wanted to stay.

"He's (Westley) been great since I've been here and I've been really impressed by the club as a whole.

"It's been going really well for me personally. I've managed to break into the team and that's all you can ask for when you first come to a club."

The 23-year-old clearly feels right at home in his new surroundings and he endeared himself to the Boro faithful on his debut with a defence splitting pass that set up Steve Morison for the third in the 3-0 win against Rushden and Diamonds at The Lamex Stadium.

Manager Westley had described the player as "being able to play a forward pass" -and it was clear the moment Murphy stepped on the pitch that there was a purpose about his play.

Fears that the midfielder may struggle to adapt to the hustle and bustle of the Blue Square Premier proved unfounded and Murphy has displayed in his short spell with the Hertfordshire outfit that he likes a challenge to put it lightly.

"The standard of football here is definitely better than I expected," he added. "The football is a lot faster than it is in Ireland, which is also a decent standard, but I feel like I have settled in well.

"I do like the physical side of the game but I feel there is a lot more to the game than just that."

Murphy's partnership with David Bridges at the heart of the midfield has been a real feature of Boro's impressive form recently and the Irishman hopes they can continue to build an understanding.

"David has been great to play alongside. He is a box-to-box midfielder like myself and we're building up a good understanding in the centre.

"We're talking well so when he wants to go forward then I stay back and vice versa. He is scoring a lot of goals and hopefully that will continue with me chipping in as well."

The competition for places within the Boro squad is such that Murphy is fully aware he must sustain his form to keep his place ahead of the likes of Michael Bostwick and Gary Mills.

But Murphy is the man in possession of the first team shirt and he hopes Boro can provide the kind of platform to forge a career in the higher echelons of the Football League.

"I just want to play to the highest level that I can," he said. "I'm really enjoying being at Stevenage and hopefully we can kick on with the run we're on and grab a play-off place.