Mick McCarthy told Ipswich striker Daryl Murphy to stop masquerading as his sister after he finally broke his duck for the season.
Murphy bagged a hat-trick in a 5-2 win over Rotherham on Saturday, prompting the former Ireland boss to give the Waterford man the following piece of sage advice afterwards.
If Murphy has a sister, let’s hope she didn’t take offence.
“I said ‘welcome back Murph, we don’t want to see your sister again who’s been playing in recent weeks’,” McCarthy told BBC Radio Suffolk.
“You can get away with that when he’s scored a hat-trick – ‘leave your sister at home and you score regularly’.”
The 32-year-old Murphy was the top scorer in the Championship last season with 27 goals in 48 matches, but had not found the net this season. He now joins up with the Ireland squad for the Euro 2016 play-off double-header against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“It hasn’t really been bothering me because I’d been getting chances, but just been unlucky in front of goal,” Murphy said.
“I think if I’d have been younger it probably would have weighed on my mind a bit more, but with experience if I’m getting in good positions and getting chances then I know one will come eventually.
“If I’m not getting chances then that’s when I’d start to worry.”
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