Derby manager Wayne Rooney thinks former Manchester United youth star Ravel Morrison is 'misunderstood'.
Morrison was one of the country's most exciting players when he emerged through United's academy ranks and he starred in the Reds' 2011 FA Youth Cup winning campaign ahead of names such as Sam Johnstone, Jesse Lingard and Paul Pogba.
After discipline issues eventually undermined his talent, though, United reluctantly let Morrison go in 2012 and since then he's played for an array of clubs around the world, most recently playing for ADO Den Haag in the Eredivisie after his Middlesbrough loan.
The 28-year-old is now on trial at Rooney's Derby in the Championship and he played against United at Pride Park on Sunday afternoon as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side began their pre-season schedule, and Rooney was clearly impressed with the audition.
"I think with Ravel, he's very misunderstood," Rooney said in the post-match press conference. "His ability is clear for everyone to see. Since he's been with us, the standards in training have gone up. There's things he does on and off the ball that I can recognise immediately. That's where he's brought the levels up in training.
"He showed some nice touches on the pitch against United but we need to remember he hasn't played for a very, very long time. So it was natural that physically he was going to tire."
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