Jacob Murphy can't help but mock himself after 'scary' Newcastle United moment v Leicester City

Newcastle United two-goal hero Jacob Murphy has been bitten by the silverware bug, admitting it’s easy to see why people get addicted to success.

The winger was the Magpies man of the moment at the King Power Stadium as he netted twice in the first-half to help Eddie Howe’s men ease to a 3-0 away win, which saw them slide back into the Champions League spots at the top end of the Premier League. Murphy’s double was added to by former Foxes man Harvey Barnes on his former stomping ground.

And in the aftermath of what yet could prove to be a vital win in the context of the campaign, Murphy admits the taste for Champions League football last season, and the Carabao Cup this season, has really whetted the appetite in the Magpies’ dressing room. So much so, he’s got his sights on making sure success becomes a regular thing on Tyneside.

“It's been unbelievable. The bus tour was out of this world, such a great day. You can see why the greats get addicted to winning trophies, the feeling it gives you. Now we're back training, you want that again next season. We want to keep striving for better and taste it again,” said the long-serving wideman.

Jacob Murphy: Newcastle United in the Champions League is ‘hugely important’

All focus now turns to top five, which is likely to be enough to take United back to the Champions League promised land, after a largely disappointing, if tough, return to the competition, the season before last.

On Champions League qualification, he said: "It's hugely important for us. We can see other English teams doing really well, we've had a taste of it last season. We've got eight games to go now, no other distractions. I think we can really put a challenge up to the teams around us, one game it can all change so we need to keep the pressure on."

Murphy is in the form of his life, further underlined by his show in the East Midlands. Eight goals and 10 assists is easily the player’s best showing in a top flight campaign. And while the first goal he scored was textbook, the second, which was a rebound after Fabian Schar’s shot crashed off the crossbar, he admits, he nearly made a mess of. Naturally, a humorous Murphy made fun of himself.

‘It was scary’ - Jacob Murphy relives his second goal

"It was a bit scary when it came back because I wasn't sure about first time finish or to control it. By the time I controlled it about seven times I managed to sort my feet out and score,” he said.

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“I think the message going into it was to get a quick start. Knowing that if we got a quick start 'could their fans turn on them?' That plays into our hands. We got off to a quick start with some goals which was good. We always talk about box occupation, can we flood the box. You can see how many players we had in the box and it makes it difficult to defend. I saw it really late but got my foot on it."

He added: "I'm exactly where I need to be, at the back post tapping it in. It's always nice to hear numbers, to score, I love assisting. If I can add value every game then regardless of the numbers I'll always be content."