MLS: Morris ready to bring a title to Seattle, after choosing home with his heart

As Jordan Morris took his seat in front of a waiting press, he could have been forgiven for feeling nervous. The 21 year old was set to speak about the biggest decision of his early career, ending a period of intense speculation in the process.

Morris may have thought his moment in the spotlight would be over when his decision to join the Seattle Sounders was confirmed. Turning down German side Werder Bremen to move home, January’s press conference was filled with journalists eager to understand the reasoning behind his decision. “Its been a lot of talking in the media, but that’s always good,” Morris tells Yahoo Sport from his home in Seattle. “It’s nice to start playing games, and I’m very excited for this season. I want to try to help the team in anyway that I can. I just want to push anything else to the side at this point and focus on my soccer.”

Achieving that goal will be tough for Morris. Viewed as the future of both MLS, and the United States National Team, his every move is watched carefully and scrutinised. “He’s a wonderful human being and that’s what attracts people to him,” his coach at Stanford, Jeremy Gunn says. “Not only is he talented but if you spend five minutes with him you’re going to be his supporter rather than a detractor, which you won’t say about every pro-athlete.”

Morris is not a stereotypical athlete however. A Type I diabetic, it is a situation that requires discipline and focus to manage: “I carry a bag with me everywhere I go,” Morris explains. “It has sweets and fruit snacks in it. I wear an insulin pump, so I also carry around extra supplies of that too. I always have a bag with me, whether I’m going to a movie or going to practice.”

To speak to Morris is to hear a mature head on young shoulders. Perhaps the product of four years at Stanford, there are some things he was happy to leave behind when he departed last year. “It’s really nice to come back from training and get to relax, instead of go back in and do homework, or go to class,” he says, laughing for a moment. “There’s a little bit less work in that sense, but the work in terms of soccer, the work is going to amp up. It’ll be the off the field stuff, which is important.”

Eager to learn and improve his game, he is blessed with experienced teammates in Seattle. “It’s obviously very exciting to be part of such a great team,” he explains. “You look all over the field we have really good players.”

Of the talented members of the team, one in particular sticks out. Clint Dempsey represented a sizeable investment for the Sounders when he departed Tottenham Hotspur in August 2013. An influential player for Seattle, Morris understands just why the Texan is so highly rated. “He’s so good on the ball and in tight spaces,” he says of Dempsey. “It’s cool watching him in practice, he just gets a foot of space and he takes a shot. He’s such a good finisher that he can do it from almost anywhere. It’s good to see that stuff in practice and pick up on the little things that make you a good player.”

Forging part of a new look front line, Morris has been able to fill the space left by the departing Obafemi Martins. Confident that the new look front line can be a success, Morris has already seen evidence of it on the field. “The kind of chemistry that has been building between Nelson Valdez, Clint [Dempsey] and I, is good,” he explains. “They’re obviously great players, and I think the more we train together the better that will be. It was good to see it come off in the game against the LA Galaxy in pre-season.”

Still somewhat adjusting to life as a professional, Morris seems eager to soak in every moment. His competitive debut for Seattle saw the team secure a 2-2 draw against Club America, in the CONCACAF Champions League. A passion filled evening, it represents a proud moment for the Seattle native. “It’s really great to play in front of the home fans and I’m excited to get that opportunity,” Morris says. “I’m always a little bit nervous, because you want to show well. I’m trying to focus on not worrying about mistakes. It’s really a cool opportunity to play in front of the best fans in the league.”

Accepted by supporters, he has also been welcomed by his teammates. Yet even his precocious talent could not help him avoid an initiation with the team. “I didn’t have to sing which is great because I would be terrified to do that.” he says. “I had to sing when I went with the national team, but they had me get up there and say a little something about myself. Then they asked me some questions about some images on the screen, it was pretty low key.

Clearly an activity that Morris prefers to do in private, his song choice with the national team was wise. “I sang ‘ain’t no mountain high’,” he says. “If you’ve seen Remember the Titans, it’s the song from that. A lot of people started singing along with me, and I tried to pick one people knew so it was good.”

Still awaiting his first goal in MLS, the 21 year old is not allowing the pressure of expectation to unsettle him. Borrowing from his experience at Stanford, where the glare of the spotlight was once again intense, Morris is channeling the energy into a positive direction. “Having won a championship before with Stanford, that’s my goal here with Seattle,” he explains. “I think we all know that’s our goal. We want to do it for the city, for our fans, and that’s the mentality of the team.”

Ready to deliver a championship to his boyhood club, Morris knows all the interviews in the world will not bring that dream closer to reality. Instead, he must now produce his message on the field, something you wouldn’t bet against him doing in 2016 and beyond.

Follow Kristan Heneage on Twitter: @Kheneage