Sheffield United sign mercurial English attacker: A gamble which could pay off handsomely

Sheffield United returned to the Premier League in the 2019-20 season after finishing second in the Championship and gaining automatic promotion to England’s top-flight. The Blades have not splashed the cash ahead of the season, but have made smart signings so far, including bringing back Phil Jagielka from Everton on a free transfer.

Sheffield have confirmed another player signing on a free transfer- former Manchester United, West Ham United and Lazio player, Ravel Morrison. The Englishman last played for Swedish side Östersund with whom he signed for in February of this year but was not offered a new contract due to his high wages. Prior to that, Morrison had played for Italian side Lazio, but was loaned out to QPR in England and then Atlas in Mexico, having failed to make a favourable impression at the Italian club.

The 26-year-old had moved to fellow English side West Ham United in 2012 after leaving Manchester United, following which he was loaned out to a few other clubs and has struggled to find a solid footing since.

Can he finally realise his potential?

Morrison was part of the Manchester United squad that won the FA Youth Cup alongside Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard, which coincidentally was against Sheffield United. But, the 26-year-old’s off-field behaviour has hurt his chances of succeeding despite him having tremendous talent, with legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson rating Morrison very highly. While Pogba and Lingard have achieved what was expected of them, Morrison has not lived up to his potential.

Many managers have tried to change his ways but have failed. Sheffield have taken a gamble by signing Morrison, but it’s a gamble worth taking as the Englishman has excellent technical ability, with great close control and dribbling as well as shooting ability. Morrison can bamboozle defenders with his dribbling and his confidence in taking on the opposition.

Morrison has been difficult to manage in the past with even experienced managers like Sir Alex Ferguson and Sam Allardyce finding it tough to get the best out of him and keep him on track, which could put doubt in the minds of Sheffield United fans about what to expect from him. While he is a gifted player, Morrison himself is responsible about how this move to Sheffield United could turn out. This could possibly be Morrison’s final chance with a Premier League team and he has to grab this opportunity with both hands and show the world what he is capable of.