Ravel Morrison: Former Man Utd midfielder joins Mexican side Atlas

It's going to make a terrific quiz query at some point: which englishman has played along michael owen, jack butland, joey barton, felipe anderson and rafael marquez?

Answer: ravel morrison.

As england prepare for this week's closing international cup qualifiers in opposition to slovenia and lithuania, morrison could not - nearly actually - be in addition away from the squad.

As soon as regarded as the kingdom's most prodigious skills and defined by his former manchester united supervisor sir alex ferguson as having "as a good deal natural talent as any teenager we ever signed", the mancunian's brand new circulate has taken him to mexican finest league aspect atlas on a season-lengthy loan.

Bbc recreation has been given an insight into how morrison ended up in north the united states and what he can count on there.

'the membership made him sense essential'

Ravel morrison
The atlas teach admitted the pass for morrison become "risky"
There may be a 30-2d youtube clip of morrison scoring a sensational purpose in education for the england below-21s, which has had 3.5m perspectives considering the fact that 2013, and any other titled "desires, abilities, assists - great talent" which compiles his excellent moments.

Right-foot finishes, left foot, unfastened-kicks, tempo, composure, stepovers, drag-backs - the video showcases the large array of his talents. It is easy to look why former united defender rio ferdinand known as him "the best young child i have ever seen in my existence".

Morrison started his career at old trafford, in which he made just 3 league cup appearances, and has considering the fact that gone directly to play at west ham, birmingham, cardiff, qpr (twice) and serie a aspect lazio. All by way of the age of 24.

For every extremely good solo purpose, however, there had been misdemeanours involving not unusual attack, crook damage and witness intimidation. Last month, his ex-hammers boss sam allardyce stated morrison become "the largest waste of talent i ever worked with".

Even ferguson - the grasp at mentoring and developing younger gamers - couldn't tame him.

Now in his latest sojourn, which you could have missed on switch deadline day, morrison has made the circulate to liga mx club atlas - 5,500 miles away from his home city of manchester as he appears to get his profession lower back on the right track... Once more.


Ravel morrison ratings cheeky chip
So how did the transfer come about?

"atlas desired a declaration signing," morrison's agent dan wilson informed bbc recreation. "they were given in contact and confirmed their severe rationale from the start to do the whole thing to complete the loan deal.

"we did some research on the league and saw some large-name players gambling there from large eu clubs. Andre-pierre gignac from marseille, keisuke honda from ac milan, west ham's enner valencia and juan iturbe of roma to call a few.

"it turned into a very difficult selection as he had options in europe. It's miles a hard choice to transport to a brand new usa, let alone a brand new continent.

"however the membership made him sense very vital, went past their manner and the most vital issue is that the instruct counts on him."

That educate, jose guadalupe cruz, admitted he knew approximately morrison's beyond and it changed into "unstable" but that human beings have to be given "the advantage of the doubt".

Morrison, who spent 3 days in mexico to have a go searching the membership and the area prior to the flow, seems to be equipped to turn a new web page and stated at his unveiling: "the beyond is the past. It's miles unique when we get on the sector. I'm able to just allow soccer do the speaking. The opposite poor side is within the beyond."

Adapting to existence on a brand new continent

Ravel morrison
Morrison (right), played alongside current manchester united first-team players paul pogba and jesse lingard inside the 2011 teenagers cup final against sheffield united. Morrison scored two times within the 6-3 combination win
The most important distinction morrison will need to evolve to is the weather. Whilst the north west of britain sees continued rainfall throughout the year, the common october temperature for guadalajara is a scorching 27c.

Teams frequently journey to suits via aircraft, unless their warring parties are an hour's power away, wherein case they may take the crew bus.

It'll help if morrison learns to talk spanish but he might be sorted by a chum and a sports activities company consultant, who've also made the move with him.

He joins a club that has a median crowd of 34,000 for home games - a parent better than 10 modern-day most excellent league facets - however has not gained the liga mx identify due to the fact that 1951 and the copa mx - the domestic cup - considering the fact that 1968.

"there has been a fashion in mexico inside the final couple of years wherein you spot random arrivals from europe," says nayib moran, espn's mexico soccer reporter. "it's miles mad an english player coming to play here.

"atlas is not known to make those sorts of notorious signings and it gave them a variety of attention. There is lots of curiosity due to the fact he became one of the fine players within the manchester united academy."

Mexicp
Guadalajara is positioned closer to the west coast of mexico
Cheshire-born antonio pedroza is the most effective other englishman to have played in the league: for chiapas, morelia, cruz azul and toluca. He moved to mexico on the age of  with his mexican father and english mother.

Pedroza also had a spell within the championship with crystal palace, making 5 appearances in the 2011-12 season.

So is morrison's flow to mexico's birthday party metropolis a long-term one or a stepping stone to bigger and better matters?

"i'm surprised he moved here," pedroza told bbc recreation. "he has had a few issues but this is soccer - on occasion you need to make this form of move to be satisfied to play and get returned to a top league in europe.

"schooling may be difficult for him because the solar comes out in reality early so at 10am it can be boiling. A few groups teach in the morning however all the boys get used to it.

"if he is under an amazing settlement he can without problems pay for a big residence with a swimming pool. Guadalajara is in reality safe but like anywhere, there are regions that are bad. He is going to be in one of the exceptional cities in mexico."


Some of your records will be collected when you use this option. Find out greater
Line
Will morrison be a fulfillment?

The liga mx consists of 18 teams, who play every other as soon as in two championships - apertura (opening) and clausura (final). The pinnacle 8 facets development to liguilla - the play-offs. This sees a two-legged knockout device, with the winners being topped champions.

Atlas are 11th in the league after 10 matches within the 2017-18 apertura, two points adrift of cruz azul in eighth place.

Morrison has played three times so far, approaching instead in all the ones suits, ending in two victories and one defeat.

And, in keeping with pedroza, he's going to have to get used to some on-discipline differences to english soccer too.

"while i was at palace, a participant tackled me and fouled me," he stated. "i went strolling to the referee telling him to show the participant a yellow card, doing the latino gestures with my hand.

"however then the captain paddy mccarthy got here jogging up to me and started out shouting, 'do not do that here in england, you aren't allowed to do this'.

"i did now not recognize why he was saying that, so i informed him to relax, i simply wanted a participant to get a yellow card, that's normal to do in mexico. It was only after the sport i discovered out you can't do that in england - if you do this you may get fined via the fa.

"morrison will need to get used to things like that, but he'll without problems be the star participant for the team.

"he wishes to be definitely healthy due to the fact the league may be very technical - less physical than the optimal league - but the players can run and run and run for the whole recreation. He should be good enough because he is technical and cleverer than every other player at the pitch."

Antonio pedroza
Pedroza (left) played 5 instances for crystal palace within the 2011-12 season
Moran says morrison's late arrival at the membership halfway through the season "complicates" matters for the club, who've had to address the loss of ex-barcelona defender rafael marquez. The former mexico captain has been related with a pills cartel, an accusation he denies.

"teams aren't stacked with expertise. If you are virtually true you may shine but you have to take the initiative and that i think that is what morrison should purpose to do," he says.

"they were difficult hit with the aid of the marquez situation. It prevents him from playing and he's the chief of the team. For the time being, they do not have a frontrunner who controls the players inside the squad. It is not a membership in an effort to be going to compete for titles.

"i find it tough to recognize why he joined midway thru the season. We might not see his first-class till next season, if he comes to a decision to live longer."

After morrison's star displaying for west ham in their three-0 win at tottenham in 2013, a bbc recreation article said: "apart from morrison himself, there are not any barriers to his progress - and the signs and symptoms are that he is starting to mature."

Four years on, will those signs and symptoms sooner or later come to fruition?