New signings would “help” Jacob Murphy fulfil his talent in the Premier League, believes Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez.

The 22-year-old scored his first goal for his boyhood club during the Magpies’ 3-1 defeat to Premier League leaders Manchester City at the Etihad.

Though Benitez was impressed by the winger’s display, he insists that the £10million summer signing still has plenty of room for improvement.

If experienced additions are brought to Newcastle by the end of the January window - United have yet to make a signing this month - then Benitez believes the talented youngsters in his squad like Murphy will flourish.

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“He is a young player. He has the potential, and obviously when you are in a very good team, these young players can do even better,” Benitez said of Murphy.

“When they are in a team that has to fight for every single ball, like when we were at Manchester City, it is even more important to do two or three things well. He did that.

“But still he is a young player, and he has to learn. I would say coming from the Championship to the Premier League, to play at this level against the likes of Manchester City, it is a very long way. He still has plenty of room for improvement.

“He is the type of player that some new signings would really help. He is a young player with talent, and when a player like that has experienced players around them, they will go and become better players.”

Murphy showed great composure when scoring his first goal for Newcastle.

In the 67th minute, Ciaran Clark played an excellent early ball forward which caught out the Man City defence, Murphy rushed through on goal and, though, his first touch was poor, he reacted quickly to then dink a delicious finish over the on-rushing Ederson.

“It was a great feeling to finally score for Newcastle,” Murphy told the club’s official website.

“I’m buzzing for that, but ultimately the result didn’t go our way so that maybe puts a little bit of a dampener on it. Now, it’s on to the next one.

“I felt confident I would score. I’d seen highlights in recent weeks that people were chipping the goalie, so I just thought, ‘Keep your composure’, and then hopefully he goes down. He did that, and I just put it over him.

“I’m building things up. I knew once I started playing more minutes I could produce for the team, with goals and assists. It’s all about keeping on contributing now.”