Rotherham United didn't strike gold on Norwich City man - Barnsley & Luton Town did | OneFootball

Rotherham United never saw the best of this player

Rotherham United were looking for some attacking inspiration in January 2017.

The Millers were facing an uphill battle against relegation to League One, having finished 21st in the Championship standings in the previous two seasons.

It appeared this time that their time could soon be up however, so they turned to the transfer market to try and give them an extra boost until the end of the campaign.

Peter Odemwingie, Semi Ajayi and Ben Purrington were among a number of signings made by Paul Warne, who had taken over the Rotherham job from Kenny Jackett earlier in the season.

A young Carlton Morris also arrived from Norwich City on loan, keen to display his attacking talent on a regular basis in the Championship.

However, the forward couldn’t establish himself in the Millers' side and would only make eight appearances from January until the end of the season, failing to score once.

In the end, Rotherham United were relegated to League One and Morris returned to Norwich City. However, this wouldn’t be the end of the relationship between these two sides.

Carlton Morris couldn’t succeed at Rotherham United but shone elsewhere

Flash forward to the summer of 2019 and Rotherham United are fresh off the back of another relegation from the Championship, with Warne still at the helm.

The Millers were hoping to achieve another return straight back to the second-tier, a feat they pulled off following their previous relegation, and turned to the transfer market once more to aid them in this task.

Morris had enjoyed a relatively successful season with Shrewsbury Town in the time between his two spells with Rotherham, scoring 10 goals and providing five assists for the Salops during the 2017/18 campaign.

This encouraged Warne to take another gamble on Morris and he was signed by the Millers on another loan deal.

The striker fared better at the New York Stadium during his second stint, netting four times and delivering five assists in 28 matches.

However, by January, Morris had seen his loan move cut short and he returned to Norwich once more.

Using these failed spells as motivation, the striker developed immensely in the following years, moving to Barnsley on a permanent deal in 2021, where he would score 16 goals in 55 matches.

Such form enticed Luton Town to snap Morris up in 2022, where he really began to show Rotherham United what they had missed out on.

20 goals and seven assists in the 2022/23 Championship campaign saw the Norwich City academy product play a massive role in the Hatters’ promotion to the Premier League, cementing himself in the club’s folklore.

Carlton Morris has continued to impress since failed Rotherham United stints

Morris has continued to prove himself in the following years, scoring 11 Premier League goals for Luton Town, proving himself capable of operating at an elite level.

Rotherham United supporters will have looked on at the striker’s success with amazement, after he failed to perform for them on two occasions.

Clearly, it proved that Morris hadn’t yet realised his potential as a footballer and was struggling to adapt to life at the New York Stadium.

The hitman showed glimpses of potential but never really got going in either of his stints with Rotherham United, which will be incredibly frustrating for the Millers given how well he has gone on to perform in the following years.

A large part of Morris’ game is the physical presence he brings to an attack. His capability to bully defences into submission before scoring goals is a real skill, one he has crafted over many years.

It takes time to develop as a footballer and clearly, the striker hadn’t done this whilst with Rotherham.

Morris has since signed for Derby County, reinforcing his reputation as an excellent Championship striker who can be a match for any team in the division.