Derby County confirm 29-year-old’s exit | OneFootball

Derby County have confirmed the exit of Ravel Morrison from the club.

The Rams announced the news via their , with the 29-year-old having departed following the expiration of his contract.

Morrison arrived at Pride Park as a free agent last August following a trial period in which he trained with the club.

His prior relationship with Wayne Rooney from their time together at Manchester United appeared to be a key factor behind his move to the club.

However, he proved to be an important player for the team last season as the side attempted to avoid relegation from the Championship.

But a 21 points penalty deduction proved a hurdle too many for Derby, as the club finished 23rd in the table, demoting them to League One for the upcoming campaign.

Morrison contributed four goals and four assists for Rooney’s side from 36 league appearances.

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He has previously played for fellow EFL clubs Middlesbrough, Sheffield United, Birmingham City, QPR and Cardiff City, as well as West Ham United in the Premier League.

The club will now be preparing for the new season without the forward, as Liam Rosenior’s side face Oxford United on July 30 at Pride Park on the opening day.

The Verdict

This is a disappointing move for both Derby and Morrison, who had seemed to finally find his feet at the club.

He was once considered a highly talented prospect, but has been unable to really settle anywhere in his career.

We saw flashes of that talent that got people so excited a decade ago as he came through Man United and Rooney seemed to be bringing the best out of him at last.

Hopefully he can carry on performing at a high level wherever he next ends up, but Derby will now need to find a replacement for an important player to their squad on top of everything else.