Wayne Rooney insisted he has enough midfielders at his disposal and wanted to prioritise other positions as he explained cutting Ravel Morrison from his DC United squad.
DC kicked off their Major League Soccer campaign with a dramatic comeback victory against Toronto on Sunday. Former Aston Villa and Liverpool striker Christian Benteke brought Rooney's side level in the 90th minute and Theodore Ku-DiPietro scored deep into added time to earn all three points in the Eastern Conference.
There was no sign of Morrison in the squad for the fixture amid reports that Rooney had removed him from the roster on the eve of the MLS season. The Jamaica international, 30, reunited with his former Manchester United teammate last July - but it appears he has been left out in the cold just seven months on.
Morrison only found the back of the net twice in 14 appearances for DC United and the blow of being cut from the squad marks a new low in his journeyman career. Explaining his decision to axe Morrison, Rooney said: "I felt with players we were bringing in and different things you need to look at in terms of the budget, international slots, et cetera, it was more important I got different players in for different positions, which we felt were more important to me."
Rooney and Morrison know each other well from their time at Manchester United, while the former also managed the latter at Derby County. The once-blossoming playmaker was regarded as one of the hottest prospects emerging from the Red Devils' academy in 2010 but he made just three appearances for his boyhood club - with questions raised of his attitude - before joining West Ham in 2012.
Morrison showed patches of brilliance during his time with the Irons - scoring a stunning goal against Tottenham in October 2013 - and spent time away from east London on loan with Championship clubs Birmingham, Queens Parks Rangers and Cardiff.
However, things turned sour when he was reported to have signed a pre-contract agreement with Lazio in January 2015, leading to the termination of his contract by West Ham. Things did not pan out for the former England youth international in Italy, either, and he returned on loan to QPR before a stint with Atlas in Mexico having made just eight appearances for the Rome club.
Why has Ravel Morrison not lived up to his potential? Have your say in the comments!
Ineffectual spells with Ostersund, Sheffield United, Middlesbrough and ADO Den Haag followed before Morrison appeared to have turned a corner by scoring five goals in 38 appearances for Derby last season. It was hoped that a move to MLS could help the Manchester-born midfielder continue an upwards trajectory, but Rooney's decision to remove him from the squad may lead to yet another transfer.
Although he is no longer believed to be in the DC United roster, Morrison is under contract until the end of the year and will continue to train and earn his wage. The club have the option to extend his deal for another year, but this appears unlikely.
