91Èȱ¬

Leeds United have signed midfielder Luke Murphy from Crewe Alexandra on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee, understood to be about £1m.

The Crewe captain, 23, was also a target for Wolves and Blackburn Rovers.

Murphy led Crewe to a mid-table finish in League One last season and also scored in their Football League Trophy final win over Southend at Wembley.

"I feel he was the best player in his division last year," Leeds boss Brian McDermott told the

"Luke certainly fits the profile of player that we're looking to attract - he is young, hungry, wants to work hard and very obviously talented.

"I'd like to thank the owners for making this deal happen. We had spoken about Luke earlier in the summer being one for the key signings we're looking to make."

Murphy is the latest on a long line of Crewe players to move on to bigger things, following last summer's most recent departures of Nick Powell to Manchester United and Ashley Westwood to Aston Villa.

"Luke's going is another proud day for us as a club, because it would be another million-pound plus player leaving us," Crewe manager Steve Davis told 91Èȱ¬ Stoke.

"We cannot kid ourselves and we never have at Crewe, for when the time is right for a player to move on. Then they go with our blessing.

"Our young players know, especially the ones that have come through the Academy, that we wouldn't stand in their way when it comes to the right career move."