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Alex Murphy joins German club on loan for 2026/27 season Galway native joins 2 Bundesliga side FC Kaiserslautern in search of first-team experience Former Galway United star Alex Murphy is to spend the upcoming season in Germany after the young defender joined the Bundesliga second tier side Kaiserslautern on loan from Newcastle United for the 2026/27 season. Murphy, who turned 22 in June, has moved to the German club in search of first-team football, and he could go straight into the squad for their second league game of the season, which is at home to Karlsruher this Saturday (3pm). “I’m very happy to be here," Murphy was quoted by the German club's media team. "Kaiserslautern is a great club and I can’t wait to play my first game in this incredible stadium. I want to take the next steps in my development here and be as successful as possible with the team this season,” Murphy told club media. Murphy began his career with local side, Corrib Celtic, before the Annaghdown teenager joined Galway United in 2019. He spent the next three seasons at the club, breaking into the first team in 2021, making 30 appearances for the Tribesmen before joining the Newcastle United Academy. He went on to captain the club's second-string, the Premier League 2 side, before breaking into the first-team squad, before spending the latter half of the 2024/25 season on loan at Bolton Wanderers, scoring twice in his 13 appearances for the Trotters. He has made four Premier League appearances for Newcastle United, as well as featuring in the FA Cup, the League Cup, and EFL Trophy, and in the Champions League. His current deal with Newcastle runs until 2028, but he has now moved to the western Germany city of Kaiserslautern, which has a population of just over 100,000 people. It is home to FC Kaiserslautern, which has won the German football championship four times, most recently in the 1997/98 season. It also won the 2 Bundesliga title in 2009/10, but was relegated again two years later, and has spent every season since in the second tier.