JAMIE MURPHY has been at Motherwell for so long he could argue that he is due a testimonial.

The 23 year-old has been affiliated to the Fir Park club since before he was a teenager but now looks likely to finally sever those ties and head off for a new challenge. Barring any last-minute hiccups, the forward will play his final game for Motherwell against Celtic tomorrow afternoon then sign for Sheffield United in a deal that could eventually be worth around £250,000 to the club.

Stuart McCall will not try to stand in his way. The Motherwell manager is naturally disappointed at the prospect of losing one of his most influential players at a key part of the season but believes that it is the right time for Murphy to leave the nest and embark on the next phase of his career.

There will be many who think a player of Murphy's talents deserves a stage higher than League One but McCall knows Sheffield United well, having finished his playing career there, and believes that they are "a Premier League club in the making". "It is probably the right time for Jamie to move to pastures new, to go and kick on and blossom," McCall said. "We are not getting anywhere near what he is worth but he has been great for the club.

"He is a great kid to work with and if he does go to Sheffield United then he will go with our blessing and good wishes. It is a shame [to lose him] because he is in such a rich vein of goalscoring form. He is a young player and a good forward type winger and he has given this club great service over the years."

McCall had said repeatedly that he would likely have to sell one of his players this month to help balance the books, but only one. The pending departure of Murphy would seem to take care of that, although McCall acknowledged that substantial offers for others, such as Henrik Ojamaa or Nicky Law, would probably still have to be given consideration.

"I'd hope that would be the only one," McCall said. "The board have been fantastic since I've been here; they've done what they said they'd do. They kept the budget when we got to the Scottish Cup final. They've done everything they've said.

"We have to lose one unfortunately but that's the way it is. Maybe if we'd got further in the Scottish Cup it might have been different but now's the time for Jamie to go and flourish elsewhere but I'd be very hopeful that will be it. That said, we've got a month and if someone comes in with a really big offer for someone we might need to look at it. It's the same with any club. Celtic would say the same about Gary Hooper. It's alright saying we're only losing one but if someone comes in with a fantastic offer for the club, it would be folly to knock it back but, at the moment, we're confident it will only be one."

Motherwell opened 2012 with a match against Rangers and start this year with a testing trip to Parkhead. "We could do with an easier game to start the new year but we're playing as well going forward as we have done. We're looking a threat but it's the same old adage when you go there: you've got to be at your best.

"If we can take our current form and defend well we've got a chance. We've got to go and try to give them a game but they are a quality outfit. I thought they were outstanding at Fir Park. We've got to guard against that but we'll go and have a go."