Drawing comparisons to England legend Paul Gascoigne for his off-the-field antics and taking the plunge into Serie A, the precocious talent that is Ravel Morrison has disappeared into obscurity in the Italian capital.
Having arrived on the scene in the company of Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard at Manchester United, the teenager from Wythenshawe opted for the same route as his French teammate. Forcing a move away from Old Trafford, much to the fury of Alex Ferguson, Morrison found himself at West Ham United. Demonised to some extent in the manner he left Manchester, these events signalled the beginning of an appalling relationship between Morrison and the press; who felt they had found another ‘bad boy’ in the mould of Mario Balotelli.
Despite the potential that had seen him whisked away by West Ham, the move to London had always been a gamble for the Hammers and one they were prepared to take. Loan spells would follow at Birmingham City, Queens Park Rangers and Cardiff City. During this time Morrison demonstrated a poor attitude toward training at Birmingham and more prominently Cardiff, where coach Russell Slade declared the Englishman had no future with the Welsh side. West Ham boss Sam Allardyce was more guarded with his words but was eventually forced to transfer list Morrison, although the midfielder would leave at the expiry of his contract.
Lazio beckoned, and his move to the Stadio Olimpico in Rome was fast-tracked when West Ham terminated his contract. A financial sacrifice for West Ham, who had placed their faith in what appeared to be England’s next superstar. His time in England may have seemed nightmarish and devoid of promise, but there were rare glimpses of Morrison’s brilliance. A video showing the midfielder net a superb back-heel goal in training went viral, and his clips for the Manchester United reserves proved equally as popular. Fans of the Englishman, by this point, will have hoped the madness was over and the British media would need to pursue another headliner. But unfortunately the drama was to continue.
Only months into his time in Rome the midfielder was thought to be unsettled, fuelling speculation over a return to England; specifically QPR. Denial followed and Morrison has been on the fringes ever since. From a purely technical perspective, Morrison seems well suited to Italian football, combining trickery and skill with poise on the ball and an eye for goal. However, it has been his inability to channel this talent that has plagued the Manchester United product, much the same way it has haunted the aforementioned Balotelli all his career.
Stefano Pioli was particularly critical of Morrison during his tenure in charge, fielding the midfielder only three times in his time at the helm. With the uncertainty that continues to persist over the future of Felipe Anderson and Keita Balde, a prolonged stay in Rome can’t be ruled out for Morrison.
That being said, a transfer to Aston Villa could be on the horizon with the Championship side desperate to add a potential star to their ranks. Morrison would certainly fit that description, but whether he can rescue his career in Birmingham remains to be seen. His alleged legal disputes and issues relating to his personal life have followed him his whole career.
