The Bluebirds boss has transformed the League One club’s fortunes this season following relegation from the Championship and saw no fewer than five of his youngsters involved with Craig Bellamy’s Wales side in the last international window.
“I knew nothing about that and I feel genuinely privileged to be here in Cardiff,” said Barry-Murphy about the Celtic links.
And when asked if it was a reflection of the job he is doing at Cardiff, he added: “I sometimes cringe when I hear those responses. I’m genuinely very grateful to be at Cardiff.
“The dressing room I am working with is outstanding and the city and club is brilliant for me.
“My focus is totally on trying to win on Saturday and anything outside that is speculation.”
Cardiff currently sit in fifth place in League One with a game in hand on those sides above them. If they win that, they would go top.
READ MORE: Brian Barry-Murphy Tells his Cardiff City Players: This Isn’t Good Enough
They’ve also reached the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup and will entertain World Club champions Chelsea in the Welsh capital on 16 December.
One player with a foot in both camps on that occasion will be on loan forward Omari Kellyman.
Chelsea paid £19m for him last year to take him from Aston Villa and after spending most of his first season ruled out with hamstring injuries he is now back on the field and has made 11 appearances for the Bluebirds.
But despite Cardiff’s pleas to be able to include him in their squad for the game, Chelsea have put their foot down and stopped him from taking part.
“It’s a difficult one. I would loved to have played because it would be a great opportunity to play against some world class players,” said Kellyman.
READ MORE: Cardiff City Have Bounce Back Factor That Can Squash Tangerines, Says Brian Barry-Murphy
Cardiff resume their League One campaign on Saturday with a trip to Northampton Town, marking their third consecutive match away from home.
The Bluebirds kick off at Sixfields Stadium, hoping to halt a difficult run that has seen them suffer back-to-back league defeats at Bolton Wanderers and Blackpool, results that have pushed them down to fifth place.
Barry-Murphy is eager for his team to rediscover stability after a patchy spell that also included an early FA Cup exit at Peterborough United.
"We have to try and improve all the time. I feel like we are where we should be," Barry-Murphy said.
"In recent weeks we've lost games that we probably should've won. The facts are we are where we are.
"Our intention now is to play the game on Saturday like we know we can and return to the top of the table."
READ MORE: Brian Barry-Murphy Kicks Cardiff City's Chelsea Tie Into the Long Grass
Northampton, guided by former Bolton and West Ham midfielder Kevin Nolan, currently occupy 15th spot. Their campaign has been inconsistent, but they approach the fixture buoyed by a 2-1 victory over Mansfield Town.
Despite the league positions, Barry-Murphy stressed there is no room for Cardiff to take anything lightly.
"Where they are in the table is irrelevant. There's so many different permutations that can impact that, as you saw with Blackpool," he said.
"We've studied them in depth. We are going to prepare for the game meticulously.
"There's a real focus on what we've got to do on Saturday, because we want to be more consistent in our performances to give us a chance to win the game."
The Bluebirds will aim to translate that focus into a response on the pitch as they look to reassert themselves in the promotion race.
⚽ Northampton Town vs Cardiff City — Match Factfile
📍 Venue: Sixfields Stadium
📅 Date: Saturday 23 November 2024
⏰ Kick-off: 3.00pm (UK time)
📺 Live on: Not televised (updates via BBC Sport & club channels)
💥 Headline
Cardiff City travel to Sixfields for their third straight away fixture, aiming to halt a run of back-to-back league defeats, while Northampton look to build momentum after victory over Mansfield.
🧾 Competition
Sky Bet League One
🔎 Players to Watch
Northampton Town: Sam Hoskins, Dean Campbell
Cardiff City: Rubin Colwill, Yousef Salech
💬 Manager’s View
"We’ve studied them in depth. We are going to prepare for the game meticulously. There’s a real focus on what we’ve got to do on Saturday, because we want to be more consistent in our performances to give us a chance to win the game." — Brian Barry-Murphy
💷 What’s at Stake
Cardiff are targeting a return to winning ways to keep pace with the League One frontrunners. Northampton, currently mid-table, aim to claim a second successive victory and strengthen their climb away from the bottom half.
📈 Odds
Northampton: 12/5
Draw: 5/2
Cardiff City: 1/1
Odds supplied by DragonBet.
