Sheffield United player 'could have been worth £100 million' says ex-Manchester United star

As a youngster, one player’s career at Manchester United took on almost mythical status.
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Ravel Morrison was highly-rated by everyone as a teenager and was the star of a Red Devils side that won the FA Youth Cup in 2011 by beating Sheffield United.

However, his career never really took off and he was released a year later, with Rio Ferdinand revealing that former manager Sir Alex Ferguson told him to steer clear of the young midfielder, who is now a Sheffield United player, on loan at Middlesbrough.

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And the ex-England international, now a respected pundit, says Morrison could have gone on to be worth tens of millions of pounds.

Rio Ferdinand pitchside for BT Sport television during the FA Cup Third Round match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United at Molineux. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)Rio Ferdinand pitchside for BT Sport television during the FA Cup Third Round match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United at Molineux. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
Rio Ferdinand pitchside for BT Sport television during the FA Cup Third Round match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United at Molineux. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
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"Fergie told me to step away from doing stuff with Ravel," Ferdinand said on the Beautiful Game podcast. "He told me the club would deal with the situation. He could have become a £100million player.

"Ravel was chatting to someone sent to look after him, just chatting nonsense with this guy then would go do what he wanted to do.

"It's a tricky situation because some of these kids' home lives are more difficult than we know about. You have to steer him. His talent, I haven't seen a kid of that age at 14, 15 like that in my life. The game comes so easy to him. It's effortless. But ability will only get you so far, mentality and attitude will take you to the top and help you stay there."

Ravel Morrison joined Sheffield United in the summer but didn't manage to break into the side and was loaned to Middlesbrough. Simon Bellis/SportimageRavel Morrison joined Sheffield United in the summer but didn't manage to break into the side and was loaned to Middlesbrough. Simon Bellis/Sportimage
Ravel Morrison joined Sheffield United in the summer but didn't manage to break into the side and was loaned to Middlesbrough. Simon Bellis/Sportimage

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