Shayden Morris reveals unseen Aberdeen 'confidence boost' as winger names where he is among Scotland's best
Speed king Shayden Morris knows his pace could be vital in Aberdeen getting ahead in the final sprint for Europe.
The winger is the fastest player at Pittodrie and one of the quickest in the top flight. Morris knows speed is a major asset in the modern game as the fourth-placed Dons look to get back to winning ways in the league against St Mirren today. He said: “I’m definitely the quickest and I think Topi (Keskinen) is second then Duk is third. I’ve never timed myself over 100 metres but my top speed is 37.5km per hour. I would say I’m right up there with the quickest in the league and would back myself. But I do see pace as a big threat and when things weren’t going too well for me people reinstated the ability I have. The speed to get forward and the one-on-one ability are quite rare to find.”
The 23-year-old knows when he is at the top of his game he can strike genuine fear into defences with his running power. Morris said: “It’s a confidence booster for me to know my strengths and get the best out of myself. I do feel when I’m on it you cause problems – at the Elgin game I heard a defender say, ‘Oh no’ when I got the ball.”
The ex-Fleetwood Town man has been in and out of the team under Jimmy Thelin, although he has made more of an impact this season. Morris knows his manager has a plan for him and is looking to kick on after getting a goal against Elgin last weekend in the Scottish Cup. It was his first strike since the glory winner against Rangers at the end of October.
And the 23-year-old said: “We’ve had a couple of conversations, he knows I’m hungry to do more I’ve told him I do want to start more often but I trust the manager 100 per cent. I know that he has a plan for me and of course I’m going along with it.
“But I really do want to be in the starting eleven and it was very important for me to show what I could do at Elgin. I’ve had a lot of games where I’ve impacted when coming off the bench but starting and scoring at Elgin was great. Hitting the back of the net definitely boosts you up, as it’s a great feeling.
“Getting the winner against Rangers last October was an unbelievable experience. So just to score again gives me a different level of confidence boost going into the St Mirren game.”
Morris is no stranger to St Mirren stars Richard Taylor and Toyosi Olusanya from the London scene and they all keep in touch. But he said “I know a couple of them and we speak day to day – but there’s been no speaking this week!”
