Ravel Morrison – The Next ‘Saviour of English Football’?

Talented but troubled, a genius fighting demons – hmm, where have I heard that before? Continuing our ongoing youth football theme running throughout November, Nick, editor of the excellent United Youth, is here to talk to us about a genuine young English sensation progressing through the ranks at Old Trafford:

As the English national side stumbles from one underwhelming tournament display to the next, it’s a frustrating and frequently self-defeating habit of both the media and supporters to pin all hopes for the future on one man (or boy, as is often the case). Gascoigne, Beckham, Owen and most recently Rooney have all borne that burden – and suffered to some extent under the weight of expectation – with the 18 year-old Jack Wilshere seemingly the next in line. Meanwhile, progressing rapidly through Manchester United’s youth ranks is another potential ’saviour of English football’ of even more tender years.

There’s already quite a buzz surrounding Ravel Morrison, despite the 17 year-old having only established himself in the Red Devils’ reserve side over the last couple of months. The midfielder from South Manchester has been tipped for the top ever since breaking into United’s Under-18 side back in 2008, when a virtuoso display in a losing cause against Chelsea in the FA Youth Cup prompted The Times’ Matt Dickinson to wonder out loud “when (we) last saw such balance and daring from an English 15-year-old”.

Similarly effusive praise has followed from many of the country’s top footballing writers, each glowing report or throwaway comment further raising hopes amongst United’s support that a new superstar is about to break through. James Ducker of the The Times described Morrison as “a hugely gifted individual, with a remarkable turn of pace, close control and a keen eye for goal.”

The Telegraph’s Mark Ogden remarked that “his prodigious talent is the worst-kept secret in Mancunian football circles”; most emphatically, fellow Telegraph scribe Henry Winter hailed the Mancunian teenager as “a potential gem for 2014″, proclaiming him to be “better than Kieran Gibbs and Jack Wilshire, certainly up there with Jack Rodwell” and tipping him to emerge as “the pre-eminent English footballer of his generation” under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson.

High praise indeed, and while you could perhaps accuse Mr Winter in particular of getting somewhat carried away, such excitement becomes understandable upon seeing the youngster play. Fleet of foot and blessed with wonderful balance and technique, Morrison seems to almost glide across the pitch, making the most mundane of actions look graceful and the most difficult look entirely routine.

Everything you want from an attack-minded midfield player is there – he skips past defenders with the skills that have been causing a stir on Youtube, he shows vision and the ability to pick out and play passes beyond both the imagination and execution of 99% of his peers. He scores goals too, lots of them for a player of his position.

Morrison is, without question, the most technically gifted youngster to come through United’s ranks since Paul Scholes. Throw in an utterly fearless approach to the game and a level of cockiness that seems almost prerequisite for an Old Trafford idol, and you’ve got quite a prospect. Nevertheless, progression to the first team and full international honours is far from a gimme; you can say that about any young player of course, but it is especially prevalent in this instance.

Raised in the same sort of tough area of Manchester that Ferguson worried would see Wes Brown led astray over a decade ago, Morrison has already featured in the tabloids for undesirable (and, it must be said, relatively unsubstantiated) reasons and the club are known to have had serious concerns about the company the player keeps away from football.

Additionally, question marks have persisted about the teenager’s attitude towards the game itself. It may have been said in good-natured fashion, but when United’s 18 year-old Irish winger Robbie Brady last year singled Morrison out as the worst trainer at the club – stating that “when he’s on his game he’s quality, but I reckon it’s just when he fancies it!” – it won’t have come as too much of a surprise to most regular followers of the Reds’ academy side, who will have become used to often seeing a self-indulgent, over-elaborate approach when in possession and a serious lack of effort when not, as well as a predilection for picking up cards for reckless, rash challenges. As even the admiring Winter observed this summer: “Ravel Morrison has the skill but not yet the maturity”.

As it happens though, that comment may have been a little outdated and unfair. Morrison missed several months of last season through injury but returned for the run-in, where he surprised and impressed everyone with some wonderfully mature displays for the U18s as they won their Premier Academy League group. Previously most often deployed on the wing, Morrison was trusted with a central midfield berth and thrived under the responsibility, melding a hitherto unseen appetite for the less flashy aspects of the game, vastly improved decision-making and a cooler head with his obvious natural talents.

Any concern that that late season form may have merely been a false dawn seems to have been allayed by Morrison’s start to the new campaign, which has seen him promoted to the Reds’ second string on practically a full-time basis and continue to impress.

England youth team coach Noel Blake – who only recently remarked that “(Morrison) is very talented boy but he has to help himself as well” – has welcomed him back into the international fold after a long absence with selection for the current England U18 squad, while another big step came during October in the form of a first team debut as a late substitute in United’s Carling Cup win over Wolves at Old Trafford. Everything seems to suggest that the penny has really dropped.

Morrison still has a very long way to go and will face many a challenge as he seeks to fulfil his own undoubted potential and the aspirations and expectations of others – not least strong competition from fellow young prospects Tom Cleverley and Davide Petrucci at club level and the likes of Wilshere, Chelsea’s Josh McEachran and Jonjo Shelvey of Liverpool on the international front.

Nonetheless the boy wonder from Wythenshawe now seems to be firmly on the right track, and while his introduction to senior football may have only lasted 63 seconds, fans of both United and England will hope to see an awful lot more of Ravel Morrison in the very near future.

For all the latest news on the reserve and youth teams of Manchester United make sure you check out the unsurpassable United Youth.

Manchester United, Ravel Morrison, Youth Football