James Morrison (footballer)

Football player infobox2
playername = James Morrison


fullname = James Clark Morrison
height = height|ft=5|in=10
nickname = Mozzer
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1986|5|25|df=yes
cityofbirth = Darlington
countryofbirth = England
position = Midfielder
currentclub = West Bromwich Albion
clubnumber = 27
youthyears = 1998–2003
youthclubs = Middlesbrough
years = 2003–2007
2007–
clubs = Middlesbrough
West Bromwich Albion
caps(goals) = 66 (3)
39 (5)
nationalyears = 2008–
nationalteam = Scotland
nationalcaps(goals) = 03 (0)
pcupdate = 23:42, 13 September 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 16:42, 11 October 2008 (UTC)

James Clark Morrison (born 25 May 1986 in Darlington) is a footballer, currently playing for West Bromwich Albion. His ability to run with the ball at pace makes him an effective option through the middle, as an attacking midfielder, or more often as a right winger. Although he was English-born and has represented the various England junior sides, Morrison chose to play for Scotland at full international level.

Career

Club career

A former pupil of Hummersknott School in Darlington, Morrison is a product of Middlesbrough's youth academy. He starred in Middlesbrough's FA Youth Cup winning side in 2003–04, putting in several eye-catching performances throughout the cup run, notably scoring in the final first leg 3–0 win against Aston Villa.

His initial outings in the first team displayed some promise too. He made his first-team debut on 3 January 2004, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 2–0 FA Cup victory against Notts County. [cite news
title = Middlesbro 2-0 Notts County
url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/3349193.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2004-01-03
accessdate = 2007-08-07] His Premiership debut came four months later, when he replaced Stewart Downing in a 5–1 defeat away at Portsmouth on the final day of the 2003-04 season. [cite news
title = Portsmouth 5-1 Middlesbro
url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/3696223.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2004-05-15
accessdate = 2007-08-07] Morrison's first European action for Boro was on 30 September 2004 in a UEFA Cup tie away at Banik Ostrava. He marked the occasion by scoring his first goal for the club, a last-minute equalizer that secured a 1–1 draw in the second leg and a 4–1 aggregate victory. [cite news
title =B Ostrava 1-1 Middlesbrough
url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/3689132.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2004-09-30
accessdate = 2007-08-07] On 19 March 2007, he was sent off in an FA Cup quarter-final replay against Manchester United for a tackle on Cristiano Ronaldo.Fact|date=January 2008

On 7 August 2007, Morrison signed a four-year contract with West Bromwich Albion, for an initial £1.5 million fee. This fee could rise by a further £700,000, depending on Morrison's appearances for the Baggies. Middlesbrough will also receive 15% of any sell-on fee.cite news
title = Morrison secures move to Baggies
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/w/west_bromwich_albion/6932011.stm
publisher = BBC Sport
date = 2007-08-07
accessdate = 2007-08-07] Morrison made his Albion debut as a 2nd-half substitute in a 2–1 defeat away at Burnley on the opening day of the 2007–08 season. [cite news
title=Burnley vs WBA
url=http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10366~37431,00.html
publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C.
date=2007-08-11
accessdate=2007-08-11] His first goal for the club was a second half winner in a 2–1 home victory over Blackpool on 23 October 2007, [cite news
title= WBA vs Blackpool
url=http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10366~37689,00.html
publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C.
date=2007-10-23
accessdate=2007-10-23] a strike that won him the West Bromwich Albion Supporters Club's Goal of the Season award. [cite news
last=Lepkowski
first=Chris
title=Kevin Phillips named West Bromwich Albion Player of the Year
url=http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/west-bromwich-albion-fc/west-bromwich-albion-fc-news/2008/04/25/kevin-phillips-named-west-bromwich-albion-player-of-the-year-97319-20822513/
publisher=Birmingham Mail
date=2008-04-25
accessdate=2008-05-17] Morrison described it at the time as "the best goal I've scored in my career". [cite news
title=Morrison: Let's push on
url=http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/0,,10366~1151582,00.html
publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C.
date=2007-10-25
accessdate=2007-10-25]

International career

Morrison played at every level for England apart from the full side. Along with Leicester's Steve Howard and Aston Villa's Gabriel Agbonlahor, Morrison was one of a number of English Premiership players identified in June 2007 as being eligible to play for Scotland. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/6738707.stm |title=Scots consider Agbonlahor call-up |publisher=BBC Sport |date=June 10, 2007] He qualifies to play for the team through his grandparents. [cite news|last=Murray |first=Ewan |title=Morrison delay frustrates McLeish |url=http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2148187,00.html |publisher=Guardian Unlimited |date=2007-08-14 |accessdate=2008-01-18] Morrison later chose to represent Scotland, claiming that he felt his "opportunities with England will be limited". [cite news|url=http://www.football.co.uk/middlesbrough/morrison_chooses_scotland_250369.shtml |title=Morrison chooses Scotland |publisher=Football.co.uk |date=2007-07-31 |accessdate=2008-01-18]

After receiving international clearance from FIFA, Morrison joined up with the Scotland squad for training in August 2007. [cite news
title=Morrison steps into Scots unknown
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/6954871.stm
publisher=BBC Sport
date=2007-08-20
accessdate=2008-01-18] He was unable to make his debut in the friendly against South Africa however, due to injury.cite news
title=Scots B call-up for English trio
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/7087168.stm
publisher=BBC Sport
date=2007-11-09
accessdate=2008-01-18] Morrison was named in the Scotland B squad to face the Republic of Ireland in November, but injury forced him to withdraw from the squad again. [cite news
title= Scotland jinx hits Morrison again
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/7092969.stm
publisher=BBC Sport
date=2007-11-13
accessdate=2008-01-18] . He finally made his debut in the friendly against the Czech Republic in Prague, on 30 May 2008. [cite news
title=Czech Republic 3-1 Scotland
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/7420598.stm
publisher=BBC Sport
date=2008-05-30
accessdate=2008-05-30]

Honours

*FA Youth Cup: 2004; Runner-up 2003
*Football League Championship (II): 2008

References

External links

* [http://www.wba.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10366~29610,00.html James Morrison player profile] at wba.co.uk
*soccerbase|id=37536|name=James Morrison