Middlesbrough boss Neil Warnock has challenged former Manchester United academy star Ravel Morrison to finally prove his critics wrong.
The 27-year-old has had a string of clubs since he was released by Sir Alex Ferguson from Old Trafford in 2012, including West Ham, Queens Park Rangers and Birmingham, as well as spells in Sweden, Italy and Mexico.
He's now on loan at Boro from Sheffield United and started for the first time since Warnock's appointment in their 1-0 defeat by QPR on Sunday.
Warnock is renowned for his man-management skills and believes, if Morrison's mentality is right, then the former United prodigy can shine after a succession of noted bosses have failed to get the best from him.
“That’s what I said to him yesterday, all these managers can’t be wrong, you’ve got to now see where you want to go,” Warnock said.
“You can keep going round the houses from one club after another or you can try and make a statement, whether it’s Middlesbrough or his next club I don’t know but he’s got to decide what he wants to do.
“It’s a great life, wow if I had his ability. He did something on the training ground yesterday and I wish someone had filmed it because I couldn’t work out how he did it.
“He went past somebody with a shimmy and it was amazing. I hadn’t seen anything like it since [Adel] Taarabt or I think Victor Moses did something like that at one stage.”
Warnock has admitted Morrison is facing a crossroads in his career and is desperate to see the best from him. The midfielder made just three cup appearances until United allowed him to go. He came through at the same time as Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard.
“I actually had a chat with him yesterday about certain things,” added Warnock. “He has a big decision in his life to make I think in the next six months.
“Somebody with that ability shouldn’t be messing about from club to club should he? When I look at Taarabt who I had at QPR it was a similar situation.
“I don’t think his ability is in question, I think Ravel has got to brush up on other parts because it would be a waste if he couldn’t get a regular place somewhere and display his ability, within a team structure not just as an individual.
“Before the end of the campaign if I can give him an opportunity I will do but Ravel has to do it himself."
