The hilarious reason James Morrison called one West Brom teammate 'a weirdo' | OneFootball

Paul Scharner may never live down the 'joke' opinion given about him by the current Albion boss

James Morrison is one man whose cult hero status at West Bromwich Albion cannot be argued against, with the Scottish international midfielder now hoping to turn the tide as permanent head coach at The Hawthorns.

West Brom have resided in the Championship since the 2021/22 season after spending just one season back in the Premier League under Slaven Bilic and Sam Allardyce beforehand.

However, 2025/26 proved to be the Baggies' worst-performing campaign in terms of a league finish since the year 2000, as they ended 21st in the second tier.

That said, the main reason behind Albion's successful survival mission after the failed appointments of Ryan Mason and Eric Ramsay was the initial short-term appointment of Morrison, who had previously taken up various roles in the club's coaching setup after retiring seven years ago.

His hopes will now be to eventually bring success back to this part of the West Midlands after a turbulent period, one which, in effect, began in 2018 after an eight-year period of unbroken Premier League football came to an end.

And, if that is the case, Albion supporters will hope for more cult heroes like Morrison and his former teammate, Paul Scharner.

How James Morrison once described Paul Scharner as a 'weirdo' during West Bromwich Albion stint

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Scharner, of course, was a household name in the Premier League for a brief period, with the Austrian enjoying a lengthy first stint at Wigan Athletic between 2005 and 2010 after signing from Norwegian outfit, SK Brann.

Including an appearance in the EFL Cup final for the Latics in 2006 against Manchester United, just months after signing for the club, the defensive midfielder went on to make 153 appearances for the North West club, scoring 17 times before becoming a free agent.

After completing his signing, former boss, Roberto Di Matteo described Scharner as "exactly the type of player we've been looking to bring in," although his teammates would have some rather interesting ways of describing the 40-time international's personality.

Indeed, Morrison, who had signed three summers beforehand, went on to call his midfield colleague a 'weirdo'.

After starting the 2010/11 season in fine form, which included a famous 3-2 win over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium and a 2-2 draw against champions, Manchester United, at Old Trafford, Morrison told the Telegraph: "He's (Scharner) a bit of a weirdo.

"He has come in and done well as we've got results. I think his experience helps.

"He does love a moan and he gets on people's nerves for moaning! But he has lots of experience and you can't take that away from him."

Paul Scharner's favourite moment in a West Brom shirt won't surprise many

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Unsurprisingly, Scharner's experience was a major benefit to Albion under Di Matteo and Roy Hodgson, as he made 64 appearances across two seasons where the club finished 11th and 10th.

It will also come as little surprise to Baggies fans that his most cherished moment during that time was his winning goal against Aston Villa at Villa Park in October 2011, which saw Hodgson's side come from behind to win.

“I just knew I was going to score at Villa Park that day. The shirt had to be on again," he said, after unveiling a shirt with the club's badge on it in front of the travelling supporters.

“I can remember the winning goal as if it was now," Scharner added.

Paul Scharner will hope James Morrison can bring success back to West Brom

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Clearly Morrison's tongue-in-cheek remark towards Scharner also proved to be true, as the standards the Austrian set helped West Brom reconsolidate back in the Premier League.

Some 14 years on from his exit, the latter, who had a brief spell back at Wigan on loan from Hamburg SV after leaving the Black Country, will be hoping Morrison can continue the momentum he was able to generate at the end of 2025/26.

The 40-year-old has also set very high standards for his players, which is a given when looking at some of the players who he featured alongside at The Hawthorns for many years, as well as the experienced managers whom he also worked under.