Adam David Murray is an English football manager and former professional footballer. Murray's highest achievements in the sport include making his professional debut in the Premier League at the age of 17 for Derby County Football Club. Playing a crucial role as Assistant Manager of Mansfield Town in helping the club gain promotion to League 2 in the 2012/13 season and helping the club to achieve their highest football League position in over 14 years when they finished 12th in League 2 during the 2015/16 season. In a professional playing career that has amassed almost 450 games, Murray has experienced several promotions with Oxford United, Mansfield Town on two occasions and again with Carlisle United also on two occasions in a 17-month period. Murray is regarded as a legend at Mansfield Town having made over 150 appearances for the team. The club's chairman John Radford has stated that Murray 'will always have a place in the club's hall of fame'.
Playing career
Born in Birmingham, West Midlands, Murray began his career as a trainee with Derby County, turning professional in August 1998. He made his league debut on 17 April 1999, coming on as a second-half substitute for Mikkel Beck in Derby's 5–1 FA Premier League defeat away to West Ham United. He gradually established himself in Derby's first team, but in their final Premiership season, he lost his place and joined Mansfield Town on loan in February 2002. With Derby relegated he played more regularly in their Championship side, but by the start of the 2003–04 season was out of favour and joined Kidderminster Harriers on loan. His rising career stalled after a tough spell battling alcohol addiction whilst only 21 years old. Like many high-profile players in the past such as Tony Adams, Murray was able to gain treatment and fully overcame this battle following support at the Priory Clinic in 2003 and made a swift return to football after 4 weeks of treatment. Murray joined Notts County in 2003 after leaving Derby County, during this transition period he played twice in a one-week non-contract spell with Burton Albion before returning to Notts County. In January 2004, Murray rejoined Kidderminster Harriers and was a regular in their side until the end of the season. In June 2004, he joined Mansfield Town where he was a regular until his move to Carlisle United in March 2005. On 10 August 2006 he handed in a transfer request to Carlisle manager Neil McDonald, which came after failing to appear in Carlisle's opening two games of the 2006–07 season and on 31 August 2006 he finally moved to Torquay United for a fee of £10,000. His most memorable moment at Carlisle was scoring the equaliser in the 2006 Football League Trophy Final against Swansea City. However his side went on to lose 2–1. In January 2007, Murray joined fellow League Two strugglers Macclesfield Town, for a fee of £17,500 on a two-and-a-half-year contract. Murray joined Oxford United in January 2008 and was named as captain for the 2008–09 and 2009–10 seasons. However, a back operation caused Murray to miss the second half of Oxford's 2009–10 campaign, in which they were promoted into The Football Leaguefor the first time in four years. He was released from the club at the end of the season, after his family failed to settle into the Oxford area, and subsequently returned to Derby. Chairman Kelvin Thomas told the club's official website: "It is with a heavy heart that we have had to come to this decision. Adam is a good player and did really well for us at the beginning of last season, and in previous seasons. Unfortunately Adam wasn't involved in the final promotion push due to injury, but we do feel that our decision to have players live close has been justified. Adam has made a decision to put his family first, which as a family orientated club we fully understand and appreciate." On 6 July 2010, Murray joined Conference Premier side Luton Town on a two-year contract. He made only seven appearances before moving to Mansfield Town, only 20 miles from his home in Derby, on a three-month loan deal on 1 October 2010, with a view to a permanent move taking place in January 2011. On 5 January 2011, Murray made his transfer permanent. On 21 June 2012 Murray became assistant manager at Mansfield following Micky Moore's decision to leave. On 21 March 2018, he came out of retirement and signed a short-term contract with Sutton Coldfield Town until the end of the 2017/18 season that ended on 28 April 2018
Managerial career
Murray began his first role in management in a combined captain/assistant manager role for Mansfield Town in the 2012/13 season. That season he went on to make 38 appearances as Mansfield won the National league title, that was then titled the Blue Square Bet Premier – and with it achieve promotion back League 2. Murray became caretaker manager of the Stags after Paul Cox's departure on 21 November 2014. Murray's first game as manager, a day later, was a 1–0 victory at home to Plymouth Argyle. After a successful month as caretaker manager Murray was appointed into the position of permanent player-manager of League 2 side Mansfield Town on 5 December 2014, becoming the youngest manager in the Premier League or the Football League. When Murray took over as Mansfield Town Manager the team were in the League 2 relegation zone in 21st position, that season he saved the struggling team from relegation. The following season in the 2015/16 season Mansfield finished the campaign in 12th place, their second highest finish in 14 seasons. Murray left his position as manager of Mansfield Town on 14 November 2016 having managed a total of 103 games in the Football League and helping Mansfield to achieve their highest league position in over 14 years. On 9 December 2016, Murray was appointed manager of National League North club Boston United who at the time of his taking over were facing relegation after former manager Dennis Greene left the club by mutual consent. On 28 October 2017 Murray left his position as manager of Boston United. On 10 November 2017, Murray became Assistant Manager of National League side Guisely AFC leaving the club on 14 February 2018. Adam is currently part League 1 Club Burton Albion's Academy.
Management style
Murray is known as a manager with an eye for detail and getting the most from the resources available to him by working on 'marginal gains' to get the extra one percent advantage to improve his players and teams performances. At Mansfield Murray developed a passing game adopted from the Dutch total football model but tailored to football league players. Murray is known to be an advocate of sports science, sports analysis, strength and conditioning, and sports psychology within football in order to achieve maximum gains on the field. Murray has often spoken about the importance of building the right infrastructure for his teams including the importance of a strong academy system for young players to develop into the first team environment, his trust of developing young talent include such players as Peterborough United's 2016/17 player of the season Ryan Tafazolli who cites Murray as the biggest influence on his career as a young player and 'developing him from a boy to a man'.
