Tag: Ravel Morrison

Wayne Rooney has seen enough of Ravel Morrison at D.C. United

The former wonderkid is now looking for the 14th team of his career

Just as quickly as Wayne Rooney decided he needed Ravel Morrison at D.C. United, the coach has determined he, in fact, doesn’t need the midfielder after all.

Rooney signed Morrison midway through the 2022 season, with the Jamaica international signing a one-and-a-half-year deal. The 30-year-old was later revealed to be on a guaranteed salary of $917,844, making him the club’s fourth-highest earner last season.

Rooney and Morrison have a lengthy history together, first as teammates at Manchester United and then later when Rooney served as Morrison’s coach at Derby County.

But despite the pair’s ties and Morrison’s high salary, it appears the midfielder will once again be forced to seek out a new team.

In his post-game press conference after D.C. United’s season-opening win against Toronto FC, Rooney confirmed that Morrison wasn’t in his plans for 2023.

“As coach you have to make decisions,” Rooney said when asked why Morrison wasn’t in the squad. “I felt in the offseason with the players we were bringing in and just different things you need to look at in terms of obviously the the budget, the international slot, etcetera. I just felt it was more important to have different players in for different positions which I felt were more important to me in the upcoming season.”

For his part, Morrison appears to be unhappy with the club’s decision, posting on his Instagram: “Some people will sell you a dream and deliver a nightmare.”

Morrison will now be on the lookout for the 14th team of a nomadic career that began with huge promise at Old Trafford.

Former United defender Rio Ferdinand called Morrison “the best young kid I have ever seen in my life,” while Rooney himself said in a 2020 Sunday Tines column that Morrison was better than Paul Pogba “by a country mile” when the two players were coming up through United’s academy.

But Morrison’s work ethic and attitude have been questioned throughout his career, which was highlighed in a clip from the 2022 Netflix mini-series “Captains.”

In the clip, Jamaica captain Andre Blake describes Morrison as the team’s “one big problem,” saying his teammate “wreaks havoc” while decrying his selfishness during one moment of a game.

Morrison made 14 appearances in his half season with D.C. United, scoring two goals.

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