DOOR’S OPEN
McClaren won’t rule out Ravel Morrison’s return
NATIONAL midfielder Ravel Morrison has received high praises within the last week, and a return to the Reggae Boyz set-up hasn’t been ruled out by Head Coach Steve McClaren.
The 31-year-old, who hadn’t played for a professional club match for two years, signed a deal with United Arab Emirates (UAE) second division club Precision FC. He has made four appearances for the club so far and scored his first goal on Friday in a 3-2 win over Al Ittifaq.
It’s a significant career change for a player who was once on the books of many-time English Premier League champions Manchester United.
Morrison hasn’t been able to have a prolonged spell at any club, playing for 13 different clubs since 2012 including West Ham, Lazio and Sheffield United. His last appearance came in 2022 for DC United in Major League Soccer (MLS) but, prior to signing for Precision FC, he has been training on his own.
In an interview this week, France’s World Cup winner Paul Pogba, who was in the Manchester United academy with Morrison, believes his talent was unmatched.
“Let me tell you: Ravel is the best player of my generation that I have seen,” Pogba told the Daily Mail. “No doubt. I saw stuff Neymar was doing at Santos — Ravel was doing that.”
“In a way I feel sorry, but at the same time players have this responsibility — and he knows it. He realises that if he had to make it again, he wouldn’t make the same choices he’s made in the past years.”
In the past, Morrison also received glowing remarks from United greats including Sir Alex Ferguson, Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand.
However, the Former England youth representative has started a new chapter in the UAE and will be looking to make a return to the Reggae Boyz.
Since his switch of allegiance in 2020 Morrison has made 18 appearances for Jamaica, registering two goals and two assists. He, though, hasn’t been called up since the Concacaf Nations League A match against Mexico in March 2023.
But now signed to a club, McClaren says his return to the national set-up is open but difficult.
“If players are good enough, and are progressing, and we think they can play at a certain level — our level — then we will look at them,” he said.
“But believe you me, we have people out there in every country with their eyes on Jamaican heritage players so that process will always continue.”
Throughout his 14-year career Morrison has played just under 200 matches at club and international level. The most appearances he made in a single season was for Wayne Rooney’s Derby County with whom he played 38 games for the English Championship club.
