Tyler Morton came through the Liverpool academy and was loved by Jurgen Klopp but new manager Arne Slot let the young midfielder go after he played only 99 minutes of top flight football last season
Tyler Morton was brought into the team under legendary boss Jurgen Klopp(Image: Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Former Liverpool midfielder Tyler Morton is making waves in France after leaving the club last summer for £15million. An international with England’s U21s, Morton joined Liverpool’s academy aged seven and made his debut for the club at 21.
While he made his breakthrough under Jurgen Klopp, with the hope of a long-term career at Anfield on the horizon, incoming boss Arne Slot wasn’t interested in retaining his services and the young man moved on the pastures new. He didn’t get much game time at Liverpool despite Klopp’s faith in him, but now he’s getting regular football at Lyon and playing well.
Morton previously spoke about his experiences with both managers at Liverpool in an interview with French publication Le Progres.
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“Jurgen Klopp was the best coach for my development,” explained Morton. “I think at that moment, I was ready to play. I’m not saying that no one believed it, but I think I was ready, and Klopp thought so too.
“He gave me the opportunity to play on the biggest stage for a very big club. He believed in me, allowed me to go out on loan to develop. Jurgen just wanted the best for me, he made me play great matches in the Champions League and the Premier League. It was a remarkable period, he made me progress at all levels.”
On Slot, he said: “With Arne Slot, I didn’t play as much as I wanted, even though I was ready. It was his decision, and I took it calmly, but I had to find another path. He was very open and very honest with me at the end of last season.
“We talked a lot, and he let me join OL. I will be eternally grateful to Jurgen Klopp and Arne Slot, in different ways. They are excellent managers, but also great men.”
Tyler Morton in Lyon colours(Image: Photo by Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
Morton has never played senior level international football but he will be hoping that his performances can put him in contention for England selection. One man he’ll be competing for a place with is Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton – arguably the fastest rising talent in English football right now and wanted by a whole host of top six clubs.
Alongside former Arsenal player Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Morton has been performing well in Ligue 1 and the seven-time champions are fifth in the table. It’s a tightly-contested title chase in France this season with Lens, PSG, Marseille, Lille and Lyon all fighting for the ultimate prize.
His increased game time with Lyon, when compared to his time with Liverpool, will have improved the midfielder’s match sharpness with a total of 23 games this season. He’s played 15 games in the league, with six appearances in the Europa League and two in the Coupe de France.
Morton is a regular starter for Lyon(Image: Photo by Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
Morton has played a total of 1,813 minutes so far this season, with 1,317 in the league alone – a massive improvement in minutes since leaving Liverpool. His contributions to the team have helped Lyon to top the Europa League table after six matches – winning five and losing only one, against Real Betis.
In Europe, Morton has played 338 minutes under Paulo Fonseca and has registered one assist. As well as this, he has managed a 91.34% pass accuracy across all six matches and covered almost 30km (18.5 miles) in the middle of the park.
Being a natural number six, where Morton really shines is in the deeper areas of the field, breaking up play and connecting defence with attack. In the domestic league, the English player has won 51 duels and made 17 tackles, with an average of 0.8 ball recoveries per match. As well as scoring one and assisting one, he’s also earned the player of the match award once.
French publication Get French Football described Morton as “an outstanding ball recovery specialist” with “remarkable vision, notable accuracy and impressive defensive work.” While it was initially perceived as a huge risk in signing the former Liverpool player, Morton has turned out to be a very important cog in Fonseca’s system.
