Jean-Luc Peterson identifies the West Ham player who is coming into his own.
West Ham midfielder Ravel Morrison will have given England manager Roy Hodgson something more to think about following England’s qualification for the World Cup finals in 2014 (assuming that Hodgson is not obliged to spend any more time thinking about the monkey and the astronaut).
In his Premier League debut season, the ex-Manchester United trainee has been in scintillating form for West Ham. If the England team selection was left up to Hammers fans, they would book Morrison a seat on the plane to Rio immediately.
Morrison showed his full potential at the beginning of October with a wonder goal in West Ham’s 3-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur. Taking up the ball 50 yards from goal and weaving past a succession of oncoming defenders, Morrison rounded off his solo effort with a deft chip over the Spurs goalkeeper and into the net. West Ham manager Sam Allardyce had only one world for it: ‘genius’.
It’s not the first time the prodigy has been described this way. When West Ham bought the young Morrison from Manchester United in 2012, Sir Alex Ferguson said to Allardyce: ‘I hope you can sort him out because if you can, he will be a genius.’ Big Sam’s face whenever Morrison scores, suggests he is delighted to see his old pal Fergie proved right yet again.
Selected for the England Under-21 squad for their most recent qualifying fixture, Morrison produced a man of the match display, scoring two goals; one almost identical to the spectacular goal against Tottenham. He has been much compared to Paul Gascoigne recently, but the sheer impudence of that goal had George Best written all over it.
Morrison’s efforts will not have gone unnoticed by Roy Hodgson, who needs as much continental flair as he can lay his hands on. Morrison has already brought a touch of magic to West Ham. Upton Park is now backing him to do the same for England in Brazil.