More reasons for optimism at the DW

Former Manchester United midfielder Ravel Morrison is the unlikely figure Warren Joyce has turned to in an attempt to kickstart Wigan Athletic's campaign.
Ravel MorrisonRavel Morrison
Ravel Morrison

The 23-year-old, who worked with Joyce while coming through the ranks at Old Trafford, has been training with Latics this week to try to earn a short-term deal at the DW.

Morrison is currently with Italian giants Lazio, but has not made a single appearance this term, and both parties are believed to favour a parting of the ways.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Joyce is desperate to bolster his squad ahead of the second half of the campaign, but is hamstrung by working to one of the smallest budgets in the Championship.

The arrival of Morrison would certainly fall into the ‘huge gamble’ category, but with the potential of being a season-changing capture if it works out.

Wythenshawe-born Morrison was tipped to become a real superstar during his formative years at United.

However, he failed to make the progress expected and was sold to West Ham in January 2012, although Sir Alex Ferguson told his Hammers counterpart, Sam Allardyce, he had signed “a brilliant footballer...needs to get away from Manchester and start a new life.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Morrison, who represented England at U16, U17, U18 and U21 level, also failed to settle at West Ham and, after loans spells at Birmingham, QPR and Cardiff, he joined Lazio on a Bosman free transfer in the summer of 2015.

While match fitness might be a problem to start with, Latics are not in league action until the trip to fellow strugglers Burton on Saturday week.

Meanwhile, reports linking Latics with a loan move for Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope are well wide of the mark.

Latics are in the hunt for a new goalie after Adam Bogdan’s season was ended by a cruciate ligament injury.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But Clarets boss Sean Dyche said: “There’s no chance of Popey going out. We like what he’s doing, he’s working with a real good group.”

Elsewhere, Scunthorpe boss Graham Alexander has refused to comment on speculation linking Latics striker Adam Le Fondre with a January move.

Le Fondre is on a season-long loan with Latics from Cardiff, but reports have claimed the South Wales outfit are keen to recall him and then sell him to Scunthorpe.

“We won’t speak about players that are under contract at another club under something is finalised,” said Alexander.