Ex-Man Utd wonderkid could’ve been QPR’s Adel Taarabt 2.0 - it didn’t work out | OneFootball

Ravel Morrison didn't live up to expectations despite promising QPR stint

QPR thought they had signed the next Adel Taarabt when they agreed a loan deal with West Ham to bring Ravel Morrison to Loftus Road.

The playmaker was a highly rated talent from the Manchester United academy system who hadn’t quite made it work at Old Trafford.

But his innate talent was obvious from the few first team appearances that he’d made by the time he joined the Hoops on loan.

Game time was limited with the Hammers, which led to an initial loan stint to Birmingham City, where he contributed three goals and three assists from 27 appearances in the Championship during the 2012/13 campaign.

But he still struggled for minutes at the London outfit upon his return in that summer, which led to him moving to QPR in February 2014.

Morrison impressed during the second half of the campaign, and was a key part of their promotion to the Premier League as he showed he could be the next Taarabt.

Ravel Morrison’s impressive first QPR loan stint

Morrison joined QPR near the end of the 2013/14 campaign on a 93-day loan, with the team setting their sights on a return to the Premier League.

The playmaker didn’t have to wait long to make an impact with the Hoops, scoring his first and second goals for the team in March in a 2-0 win over Birmingham City.

His first goal really showed his talent, as he scored from a direct free kick to give the side the lead.

The midfielder managed six goals in total in the Championship during this brief period, with his goals proving vital to their fourth place finish in the table.

While Morrison did not feature in the play-off final win over Derby County, which Harry Redknapp’s team won 1-0, he still showed a lot of promise during his time at Loftus Road.

The comparisons to Taarabt were obvious as the pair were both genius creative players with incredible flair.

However, both were hampered by a lack of discipline, with then-West Ham manager Sam Allardyce even criticising Morrison’s attitude, rather than his ability.

"It's not that he has to impress me as a footballer, we know about his talent,” said the Hammers’ manager after his return from QPR, via the Belfast Telegraph.

“It's about playing the talent and himself to a disciplined life in general, is what needs to happen with Rav.

“If that happens we'd want him here.

“It’s about self-discipline.”

Morrison didn’t make the permanent move to QPR after that loan stint, but it was clear that he was still well-liked by people at the club.

The now 33-year-old was considered one of the best natural talents to come through the Man United academy at a time when it was producing players like Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard.

Yet his return to Upton Park yielded just one more league appearance before he eventually left the team for Lazio in 2015.

It was hoped that the move to Italy could provide him with a change in scenery and reduce the pressure on him to perform, but Morrison continued to struggle, which led to a return to Loftus Road in January 2017.

But the playmaker’s second stint at Loftus Road paled in comparison, as he made just five appearances.