Ravel Morrison appears to have cleaned up his act, and Premier League defenders should be worried.
On Sunday, Morrison scored the third goal in in West Ham United’s 3-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur. His superb solo effort might stand as the Premier League’s goal of the season when the campaign concludes in May.
Morrison, 20, picked up the ball in his own half, sped past past two Tottenham defenders and beat goalkeeper Hugo Lloris with a delicate chip to score. The goal completed West Ham’s second-half barrage, which saw it win at Hart Lane (Tottenham’s home stadium) for the first time since 1999.
The goal, Morrison’s fourth in eight games this season (in all competitions), also heralds his transformation from cautionary tale to budding star. Morrison is a product of Manchester United’s academy, but his Old Trafford career stalled after just three first team appearances. He was considered to be among United’s most talented young players, but his salary demands and off-field incidents exasperated former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. United sold him to West Ham in January 2012.
He spent the 2012-13 season on loan at Birmingham City, where he scored three goals in 30 games. The loan spell helped him mature professionally, and he returned to West Ham for the 2013-14 season. West Ham manger Sam Allardyce believes Morrison can be a major asset if he focuses on soccer and stays out of trouble.
“Sir Alex Ferguson told me ‘I hope you sort him out because you will have a top-class player’,” Allardyce told the BBC. “I’m not sure I’ve sorted him out, he’s sorted himself out. He’s begun to enjoy his football which he loves so much.”
“He enjoys being with the lads and listens to what the experienced players say, and can do something that nobody else can do in our side and you saw that today.”
“He’s learnt so much in a short period of time. That’s the beauty. The penny has dropped.”
Morrison’s early-season form has earned him a call-up to England’s U-21 squad for games against San Marino and Lithuania. If he keeps scoring goals like this, a call-up to the senior team will soon follow.
See Morrison’s solo goal below.
Totenham vs West Ham 0:3 Morrison by footballdaily1
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