Rushian Hepburn-Murphy

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Seasons

Age*

Division

Appearances

Starts

Substitute

Unused

Goals

From

Played Under

Paul Lambert |
Tim Sherwood |
Rémi Garde |
Roberto Di Matteo |
Steve Bruce |
Dean Smith |

First Squad Appearance

Debut Appearance

First Goal

Did not score

Final Appearance

Tuesday, 28 August 2018

Burton Albion (a), EFL Cup

Final Squad Appearance

Saturday, 1 September 2018

Rushian Hepburn-Murphy

Player #879 for Aston Villa, Rushian Marcus Amari Hepburn-Murphy played as a forward for the club between 2014-15 and 2018-19 making 17 appearances.

Rushian was born in Birmingham on 19 September 1998.

Rushian signed professional forms with Villa in July 2016 and was promoted to the first team squad by Tim Sherwood.

Sherwood gave Rushian his Villa debut as an 83’ substitute for Christian Benteke in Villa’s 4-0 trouncing of Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, 14 March 2015.

Rushian’s arrival, aged 16 years and 176 days, made him Villa’s youngest player in the Premier League beating 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.

Rushian 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 1-2 Division Two defeat at Bolton Wanderers on Wednesday, 17 September 1969.

Rushian also became the fourth youngest player to play in the Premier League.

Sadly though that was as notable as Rushian’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.

Rushian wouldn’t appear again in 2014-15 and would only make an 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 hot seat. Rushian would come on as an 86’ substitute for Ashley Westwood once again against Newcastle United, on Saturday, 24 September 2016.

Two games later Di Matteo was sacked and his successor Steve Bruce didn’t name Rushian in a matchday squad until January 2017 when he was brought on as a 82’ substitute for Ross McCormack in Villa’s 0-1 defeat away to Cardiff City.

Bruce would only give Rushian one other substitute appearance that season but as a 78’ 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 Rushian 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 75’ 83’ and 80’.

Rushian’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 54’ of Villa’s 0-1 loss at Bolton Wanderers on Saturday, 17 March 2018.

In 2018-19 Rushian embarked on his longest first team run as Steve Bruce named him in the first 8 Villa squads of the season with Rushian making 5 substitute appearances and his only starts for Villa. Rushian was subbed on at 77’ 74’ 78’ 85’ and 76’ 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.

Rushian’s second start for the club however saw him remain on the field for the full 90’ as Villa lost 0-1 at Burton Albion in the EFL Cup on Tuesday, 28 August 2018. Rushian 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, Rushian 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 Rushian was considered to not fit into the future dynamic of the side.

Smith sent Rushian on loan to Tranmere Rovers for the first half of the season from August 2019 to January 2020 and on his return Rushian 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 a first team bow.

Rushian was released by Villa on his contract expiry in June 2020 and he subsequently joined Pafos FC in Cyprus.

Rushian played under Tim Sherwood, Eric Black, Roberto Di Matteo and Steve Bruce.