March 2015: Aged 16, becomes the 265th Villa Youth player to graduate to the first-team squad
March 2015: Aged 16, becomes the 875th player to play for Villa in first-team League or Cup football since the club’s first entry into the FA Cup in 1879.
March 2015: Aged 16, becomes the second youngest player to make his debut for Villa after Jimmy Brown in 1969.
March 2015: Aged 16, becomes the youngest player to make his debut for Villa in the Premier League.
March 2015: Aged 16, becomes the 245th Villa Youth player to play a first-team game for the club.

Player #875 for Aston Villa, Rushian Marcus Amari Hepburn-Murphy played as a forward for the club between 2014-15 and 2018-19, making 17 appearances.

Hepburn-Murphy was born in Birmingham on 19 September 1998 and came through the youth ranks at Villa, making his first team debut whilst still a member of the u18s squad.

Tim Sherwood gave Hepburn-Murphy his Villa debut as an 83rd-minute substitute for Christian Benteke in Villa’s 4-0 trouncing of Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, 14 March 2015. Hepburn-Murphy was 16 years and 176 days old and became the youngest Villa player to ever feature in the Premier League, beating the previous record holder, Gareth Barry, who was 17 years and 67 days when he made his debut in Villa’s 3-1 win at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, 2 May 1998.

Hepburn-Murphy also became Villa’s second youngest player in all competitions after Jimmy Brown, who was 15 years and 349 days old when he made his debut - as a starter - in Villa’s Division Two game at Bolton Wanderers on Wednesday, 17 September 1969.

Tim Sherwood would explain his reasoning following the game:

“He’s done very well in the youth team.

“I think he’s scored 18 goals in 21 games.

“He’s a talent for the future of the football club. It will be expensive now if anyone wants to try and take him off us!

“It was a great moment for him to come on. I loved giving him the good news.”

Sadly, though that was as notable as Hepburn-Murphy’s Villa career got, despite there being high hopes for his progress, he was unable to make a breakthrough at first-team level and spent much of his contract out on loan.

Hepburn-Murphy wouldn’t appear again in the 2014-15 campaign and would only make one appearance in Villa’s torrid 2015-16 relegation season after both Sherwood and his successor, Rémi Garde, had left the manager’s post. It was caretaker boss Eric Black who gave Rushian his next chance, naming him in the final two squads of the season for already relegated Villa, with Rushian coming on as a 90’ substitute for Scott Sinclair in Villa’s 0-0 draw with Newcastle United on Saturday, 7 May 2016.

2016-17 saw yet more managerial incomings and outgoings, with Roberto Di Matteo coming in as Villa boss and naming Rushian in one of the last squads of his short tenure in the management. Indeed, Hepburn-Murphy would come on as an 86’ substitute for Ashley Westwood once again against Newcastle United, on Saturday, 24 September 2016.

Just two games later, however, Di Matteo was sacked and his successor, Steve Bruce, didn’t name Hepburn-Murphy in a matchday squad until January 2017, when he was brought on as an 82nd-minute substitute for Ross McCormack in Villa’s 0-1 defeat away to Cardiff City.

Bruce would only give Hepburn-Murphy one other substitute appearance that season, but as a 78th-minute sub for Jordan Amavi at least he had a little more time on the pitch, although the game itself ended with Villa losing 1-3 at Fulham on Monday, 17 April 2017, as they struggled to adapt to life in the Football League Championship.

For 2017-18, Bruce named Hepburn-Murphy in the Villa squad on five occasions, and he was brought on as a substitute in four of those matches, including three consecutive appearances from Saturday, 30 December 2017 to Saturday, 6 January 2018, in which Rushian came on in the 75th, 83rd and 80th minutes..

Hepburn-Murphy’s only other appearance that season saw him substituted on at the earliest point of a game so far, coming on for Conor Hourihane in the 54th minute of Villa’s 0-1 defeat at Bolton Wanderers on Saturday, 17 March 2018.

In 2018-19, Hepburn-Murphy embarked on his longest first-team run as Steve Bruce named him in the first eight Villa squads of the season, with Rushian making five substitute appearances and his only three starts for Villa.

Hepburn-Murphy was subbed on at 77, 74, 78, 85 and 76 minutes yet on his first start for Villa in the 1-0 EFL Cup first round win over Yeovil Town on Tuesday, 14 August 2018 he was subbed off on 58’ to make way for Jonathan Kodjia as Villa laboured to victory over their lower league opponents.

Hepburn-Murphy’s second start for the club, however, saw him remain on the field for the full 90 minutes, but Villa lost 0-1 at Burton Albion in the EFL Cup on Tuesday, 28 August 2018. Hepburn-Murphy would make one more substitute appearance following that game before heading out on loan.

With Steve Bruce sacked and his successor Dean Smith in post, Hepburn-Murphy was sent out on loan to Cambridge United in January 2019 for the remainder of the season. On his return to his parent club, Villa were a Premier League side once again and were flexing their muscles in the transfer market with Smith’s possession-based attacking football philosophy at the core, and Hepburn-Murphy was considered not to fit into the future dynamic of the side.

Smith sent Hepburn-Murphy on loan to Tranmere Rovers for the first half of the season from August 2019 to January 2020, and on his return, Hepburn-Murphy was loaned out to Championship side Derby County for the remainder of the season. However, he did not make it out of the under-23 team at Pride Park to make his first-team bow.

After that disappointment, Hepburn-Murphy was released by Villa on his contract expiry in June 2020, and he subsequently joined Pafos FC in Cyprus.

Hepburn-Murphy played under Tim Sherwood, Eric Black, Roberto Di Matteo and Steve Bruce.