With West Bromwich Albion still awaiting an announcement when it comes to the new head coach who will lead us into the 2019/20 Championship campaign where we will undoubtedly be hoping to go one step further than this season and secure our return to the Premier League, midfielder James Morrison is left in a mini limbo.
The long serving Scotland international is out of contract this summer and he has been named on our released list, but the door has been left ajar for our new manager to make the final decision. That doesn’t necessarily help the 33-year-old as he looks to the twilight of his career and he’s admitted himself that after 12 years it might be time for a fresh challenge.
In any event, he can’t wait around when there are no guarantees a new deal at The Hawthorns will be offered.
Speaking to the E&S at the weekend, he explained.
“I wanted the perfect ending but realistically it doesn’t always end like that. Scoring the penalty to get us through would have been the fairytale, but sometimes it doesn’t work out. That’s what I was holding onto. If the new manager wants a bit of experience around and invites me back in then I’ll take it with both hands. But I can’t afford to not take other chances, I’ve got to look after myself. Even if I did get a contract at West Brom, do I need a fresh challenge so I can play week in, week out? When I left Middlesbrough to come to West Brom, that buzz of a new environment was a new lease of life. Over 12 years, sometimes it goes.”
As Morrison alludes to, a fairytale ending to his time with us would’ve been welcomed by everyone, but with all the concerns at the club plenty of fans will be hoping we do a proper rebuild now and if Morrison is already potentially debating with himself whether he’s become a bit stale with us (if that would be the right phrase) he probably already has the answer as he looks to his final few years in the game.
His service to us will never be forgotten though, even if sometimes the low moments remain more memorable and he’s certainly taken his criticism – some deserved, some not so and plenty will remember him fondly.
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