A statue honoring Jimmy Murphy, a club legend, has been unveiled by Manchester United in front of Old Trafford.
The Munich Air Disaster in 1958, which claimed the lives of eight players and left Busby seriously ill in the hospital, is credited with leaving United in ruins. Sir Matt Busby's assistant Murphy, who had been a key figure in the development of the Busby Babes, took temporary charge and led United to the FA Cup final that season against all odds. Wednesday's statute ceremony occurred 65 years to the day after the disaster.
Both the United young squad and former players Brian Kidd and Alex Stepney, who unveiled the statue, were present for the ceremony. Although Sir Alex Ferguson wasn't present, he spoke via video.
In addition to his coaching career, which included leading Wales to the 1958 World Cup, Murphy played more than 200 games for West Brom until the Second World War broke out, ending his playing career.
Busby eventually hired him to run the youth program at United, and he was instrumental in creating the club's academy's long-standing reputation.
Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, said: 'I believe it's very fantastic that the club gives so much honor and congrats to the key figure in Manchester United's history.' He was speaking at the Jimmy Murphy Centre at Carrington before of the unveiling.
He represents a number of additional symbols, including youth and youth development. He embodies Man United's principles of tenacity and tenacity is what he stands for.
'After Munich, a manager and a lot of the players left. The club was decimated, but they recovered, and this individual was instrumental in that. He deserves an honor for doing this, no doubt about it. It's wonderful to have the Jimmy Murphy Center, the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year, and now this monument.
'I know the culture of Man United, I knew before,' ten Hag said. 'Of course, I was long employed in youth football. I met Man United several times in big tournaments in the Netherlands.' In reference to the emphasis on attracting young players to Old Trafford that Murphy helped establish in the 1950s, ten Hag said: 'In the past everyone knew and talked about the Busby Babes and the generation of '92.' Man United has a big history of youth development
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