Redknapp hints at Morrison swoop

19 December 2014 23:02

QPR boss Harry Redknapp believes he could prove to be Ravel Morrison's "last chance" to make a success of his football career.

The West Ham midfielder has seen a promising start at Upton Park fade into the possibility of his contract being torn up after his latest loan move to Cardiff failed to ignite his potential.

Morrison has a chequered past away from football and the England Under-21 international is currently awaiting trial having been accused of assaulting an ex-girlfriend.

His behaviour off the pitch led to Sir Alex Ferguson selling him when in charge at Manchester United despite his undoubted talent and, since completing a move to east London, has found himself farmed out on loan to Birmingham, QPR and Cardiff.

Morrison's spell in south Wales was cut short earlier in the week and, having failed to make an impact, he returned to West Ham, whose manager Sam Allardyce could look to sell him in January - with some reports suggesting his contract could even be terminated before then.

He enjoyed a run in the Hammers team last season but ended up as part of Redknapp's Championship play-off winning side and now the R's manager could be tempted to offer him another, possibly final, lifeline.

"I liked him," Redknapp said when asked about the prospect of signing Morrison.

"I think I might be last chance. He has got to sort himself out. Fergie ended up getting rid of him, Sam got rid of him and they are top, top managers.

"He has obviously got to look at himself somewhere but I'm open to taking those chances with people - I have done it over the years and so maybe I will do it.

"He is an amazing talent, I have got to be truthful. He glides over the pitch and has the ability to beat people but he doesn't put it all together.

"There is something missing, isn't there? There is a screw loose somewhere. He isn't that bad a lad and has had a hard life.

"You know what it is like, people might say: 'he is a waste of time, p**s him off' but I would hate to see it. Where is he going to be in 15 years' time? I will probably be six-foot under but where will he be?"

Redknapp, who held a meeting with owner Tony Fernandes in Malaysia on Thursday, revealed he will not have any money at his disposal in the January transfer window.

The club currently sit 18th in the Premier League and have yet to take a point away from Loftus Road but Redknapp, who oversaw the arrival of 10 new faces over the summer, will be left looking around the loan market to improve his squad - with Morrison an obvious option.

"Really we are looking at loans, yes," he said.

"One or two loans if we can but I don't know from where. I couldn't sit here and say we were close to getting anybody on loan at the moment, we are not. But that was where we were at.

"I had not thought about him (Morrison) but someone mentioned him. It's a gamble, but if you are in the loan business you are in the gambling business, aren't you really?

"You are going to go and gamble on someone, you are not going to go and get on Wayne Rooney tomorrow, or Raheem Sterling, are you? You are going to take a chance on one or two.

"I think he's got the ability to play. It's just if he wants to, he's got to sort himself out. But he hasn't done anything and he's not the only one like that."

Source: PA