Blues captain vows to clear name

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Linfield's William Murphy says he regrets his 'extremely stupid' return trip to Spain which saw him charged with passing counterfeit banknotes.

The captain of Linfield Football Club will fight to clear his name in a Spanish court, he has said.

William Murphy, who is charged with passing counterfeit banknotes, insisted he was not an international money launderer.

He was first detained in 2007 and released but re-arrested in May when he returned to Torremolinos for a stag party.

If found guilty, he could face a minimum eight-year prison sentence.

After two weeks in jail, he was released on bail but must remain in Spain. He can only return home with the express permission of a judge.

Mr Murphy is the captain of Belfast-based Linfield Football Club

"When I woke up in the holding cell, I thought I was dreaming," he said.

"Waking up in a 10 by eight cell with bars around you, it's frightening, not a very nice experience."

Murphy said six people were held in his cell.

Grim

"They were lying on the floor, people who had been drinking or fighting were coming in and just standing urinating in the corner and stuff.

"I asked myself, what am I doing here?"

He said he was allowed out of the cell twice a day for two-hour periods.

Because of his absence from work in Belfast, his pay has been suspended.

Asked how he would cope with an eight-year prison sentence, Murphy said: "It would be grim. I'm not even thinking about that.

"What I really want to do is, go back to Belfast, carry on with my work and football and when my trial date comes, come back out with my solicitor, meet my legal team in Spain and thrash something out."

He admitted he had been "extremely stupid".

"I just didn't listen to anyone. I carried on regardless."

He said, however, the episode had given him a fresh perspective on life.

"I have a whole new outlook on how I will approach things from now on."