Motherwell: Jamie Murphy poised for Fir Park exit

Jamie Murphy is encouraged onto the park by manager Stuart McCall

Motherwell forward Jamie Murphy looks poised to seal a transfer to a club outside Scotland within the next week.

The 23-year-old was encouraged to say his goodbyes to home fans after the 2-2 draw with Kilmarnock.

Manager Stuart McCall told BBC Scotland: "It is not in stone that he'll definitely be going, but there's a strong possibility.

"There will probably be a development in the next three or four days, but Jamie will be playing at Celtic."

The future of the player who came through the youth ranks at Fir Park but is out of contract in the summer will be settled after that 2 January fixture.

Should he depart during January, that would rule out a switch to Rangers as a free agent once the Third Division leaders' transfer embargo ends in September.

League One promotion hopefuls Sheffield United have also been mentioned as possible suitors for the former Scotland Under-21 international who scored his 10th goal of the season in the draw at Fir Park.

But McCall, who had admitted in midweek that he hoped to lose only one player during the January transfer window, would not say which clubs had been in contact other than to say "south of Motherwell".

"I tried to get him off with 30 seconds to go so he could come off to a standing ovation because what he has done for the club has been phenomenal," he said of Murphy.

"Not only his goals, his performances.

"That's if he does go. Some people leave clubs and don't get a chance to say thank you.

"If it is a possibility that Jamie goes, I think he more than anyone deserves the applause that the fans gave him because he's been a great servant to the club."

McCall had hauled off substitute Adam Cummins, replacing the defender with striker Bob McHugh with 25 minutes remaining as Well came from two goals behind to snatch a point.

"It's something we've done in the past," the manager explained. "We did it successfully against Hibs a couple of weeks ago.

"It was hard on Adam Cummins, but when you're 2-0 down, it's something you've got to do.

"We asked the boys at half-time just to go until the final whistle and they certainly did that.

"We had enough chances to win the game, if I am honest.

"How we only scored two today, I'll never know, we had so many opportunities.

"I'm really proud of the players, the way they kept at it and the football they played."