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Aidan Morris' emotional US goodbye - and what his boss has told him to expect at Boro
AIDAN MORRIS’ transfer to Middlesbrough should be confirmed in the next few days, with the American midfielder having said an emotional farewell to Columbus Crew at the weekend.
The terms of Morris’ switch to Teesside have already been agreed, with Boro set to pay around £3m in order to sign the 22-year-old midfielder.
A special moment for Aidan Morris. 💛🖤 pic.twitter.com/R5sFhR0h5t
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 23, 2024
While negotiations were concluded a while ago, Boro gave permission for Morris to make a final appearance for MLS side Columbus Crew in their match against Sporting Kansas City.
Morris played for the opening hour as his side claimed a 4-0 victory, setting up a goal for Cucho Hernandez, and was in tears as he received a standing ovation after his substitution was announced.
“I’m just so blessed,” said Morris, in an interview with the Columbus Dispatch. “The game just encapsulated everything in my last seven years here. The identity of us and the team we like to be, and how we like to approach games, it’s my identity. My heart is black and gold.”
Morris joined Columbus Crew’s youth set-up at the age of 15, making his professional debut in 2020, and has helped the club claim two MLS Cups as well as securing their first appearance in the CONCACAF Champions Cup final.
An all-action central midfielder who has played more than 80 MLS matches and won five senior caps for the US national side, Florida-born Morris has become a firm favourite at Columbus Crew after speaking out publicly to help block a proposed franchise relocation.
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The strong crowd support he received when he left the field at the weekend was no surprise to Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy, who has been a key figure in Morris’ development.
“He knew that the club was preparing something,” said Nancy. “The family was there and everything.
“He wanted to finish well in front of the crowd and in front of the fans because it means a lot for him. H’s strong mentally because he had a good game – he had a lot of pressure and was able to do good.”
Nancy has worked closely in the last couple of years, helping the midfielder develop both the mental and physical side of his game, and is confident Morris will be a big success on Teesside.
Given that he has been playing in the MLS during the early stages of the English summer, he is likely to be afforded a break before joining his new Boro team-mates at a later stage of their pre-season programme.
“He likes to have advice,” added Nancy. “I also like when I can help people. I come from Europe, so I know exactly what he’s going to face, and he’s really excited by that.
“We had a discussion to know what he needs to improve and what he does well already. Also, (we talked about) just enjoying it. I put my coach hat to the side, and we had a personal discussion.”
