‘I believe that I’ll score a lot of goals for Sligo Rovers’
The sight of a confident and talkative Liverpudlian coming through the gates at The Showgrounds is nothing new.
The club has been graced by the presence of characters such as Paul Cook, John Coleman, Danny Ventre and most recently Craig Roddan. All hailing from the Liverpool area, and all playing their part in the club’s history.
And now, adding to add his own chapter to the Bit O’Red’s history is striker Adam Morgan.
The 23-year-old has been one of Gerard Lyttle’s top targets in this transfer window. He is a graduate of the esteemed Liverpool academy, and featured for the senior team in the Europa League.
Not short on confidence, Morgan says he wants to be the league’s top goal-scorer this year. Nothing more. Nothing less.
“I want to be the league’s top scorer. I haven’t come here for anything else other than to play football,” he told the assembled press at his unveiling last Wednesday afternoon.
“I want to do the best I can for Sligo Rovers. I believe, I know I will be given the chance, but given the chance I know I’ll score a lot of goals. If I play games I’ll score goals. I believe I can do really well,” he added.
Clinching the signature was no easy feat for manager Lyttle, but the difficulties did not come from Morgan. He has wanted to sign all along. Lyttle’s belief in the striker, and Morgan’s close friendship with Roddan convinced him to sign.
“It sounds like a real difficult situation but it was, not from me, I’ve wanted to come here. There was a few issues going on which was out of my control. I’m delighted, you don’t know how delighted I am to be here. I’ve been speaking to the manager at length, I want to put my trust and faith in the gaffer because I believe he can get the best out of me.
“I believe I can do really well here, score as many goals and excite the fans. But the reason I came here was the gaffer. To have someone who wants to work with me that much, and who believes in me, how can you turn your back on that. I’m really looking forward to working with him.”
The former Cliftonville boss has been left frustrated at times during this transfer window when targets have been signed up by opposition clubs.
“It’s a player I’ve been after for a while. It’s been a frustrating window. This one here we were trying to keep as close to our chest as possible because we didn’t want it to get out there because it seems to be when Sligo Rovers are in for a player there’s certain other clubs that want to jump in and snatch them anyway because in my opinion they’re lazy in what they do. I’m not a lazy manager, I’ll do my work, I’ll do my research. Adam knows what I’m about. He knows how I like to play. He knows how I like to manage.
He added: “It’s been a rumour that’s been going on for a wee while now, obviously the rumour’s true. I’m absolutely thrilled that we’ve got our man. There’s been a fair bit of work put in to get Adam over the line. Myself and the club have put a fair bit of graft in to get it over the line. To have a player of his calibre coming here to Sligo Rovers, we’re delighted.”
Prior to joining Rovers, Morgan was plying his trade with Halifax Town. Before that, he shone for Curzon Ashton. A club he credits for helping him fall back in love with football.
Following the end of his spell with Liverpool, Morgan was left wondering if he should quit football.
In several interviews in 2016, he said he had fallen out of love with football. But, a bit of perspective helped him to realise that football is his one true love.
“I think what turned it around for me was the amount of hours my parents had put in. Taking me up to training every day, I’m very close to my parents and that was it really. I love football. I don’t play football as a job, I’d play football with my mates on a Sunday if I didn’t have a club. My love for football kept me in. A massive thanks to Curzon Ashton who rekindled my love back in football. I can see myself kicking on. I’ll be learning as much as I can and I just want to perform on the pitch as much as I can.”
This is a signing that has the manager beaming. Ger Lyttle speaks about Adam Morgan as the cat that got the cream.
“For such a young man, he comes with experience. He’s been at one of the biggest clubs in the world in Liverpool, he’s learned his trade there. He comes with a great pedigree, he’s had a couple of clubs after that in terms of experience and showing what it’s like to play at lower leagues. We’ve signed him from Halifax Town, he started off the season brilliantly, scoring goals as he does. I’m looking forward to getting him started and mingling with the boys. Adam will do his talking on the pitch.”
Lyttle is confident that his new striker can hit the ground running, and make his name in the League of Ireland scoring goals.
“He’s not a player that we don’t know anything about, or it’s an unknown. I know everything about him, one of my best friends in football is Paul Dalglish who is a big Liverpool man. I’ve had long conversations with him about Adam. When you type his name into a Google search you’ll see clips of him, you’ll see what he’s about, anyone in football circles will know when you mention Adam Morgan’s name what type of a player he is so as I say, we’re thrilled that we’re able to attract a player like this young man to a club like Sligo Rovers.
“I think the fans deserve it too because they’ve been very patient. Throughout they years in terms of goalscorers, I think the last goalscorers we’ve had was Danny North and Mark Quigley. Hopefully this can be the new Danny Norths or Quigleys, he’ll be his own person. He’s a goalscorer.”
Morgan and Roddan became acquaint- ed with one another when they joined the Liverpool academy as children. The pair have been close friends ever since, and Morgan feels that Roddan, too, can enjoy a great season having finished 2017 extremely well.
“I’ve known Craig since I was nine or ten years old. We’ve been very close ever since, we’re good friends on and off the pitch. Craig’s a great lad, he’s someone who I think can also have a great season.”
Morgan is aware of the difficulties faced by Roddan in the first-half of last season, in particular. But he says the fact that Roddan came through it to finish the season the way he did shows the kind of person he is.
“Who, in football, hasn’t had their difficulties? It shows how big a man he has that he has come through that and what a good player he is. I’ve had difficulties myself in football and all the best players have had difficulties. It’s how you come through it, it’s not about giving up. It’s about the next challenge now. I think even only meeting the lads it looks like we’ve got a great group here.”
The Liverpudlian was linked with the Bit O’Red last year, but says it was only rumours last time around.
“I came last year for a couple of days. I came over to see Craig. There was rumours about me signing but this time it was the real deal. I can’t thank the manager enough for what he’s done for me so far.
“When I got off the plane this morning it was a little bit colder than Liverpool so I was going to get back on” he joked.
“But no I was really, it’s just part and parcel of being here. I feel like I can fit in. I’m an open talker and I’m a confident lad. I’m glad to be here. I’ll see what’s around the town, I’ll see the local supermarket. I’m not here to do anything else other than play football. The rest of it is, as it is.”
He’s not afraid to big himself up, but Morgan fully believes he can back up his talk once it comes to matters on the pitch.
He has done his research into his new team-mates, but he won’t know much until he finally gets on the pitch with them.
“Over the last couple of days I’ve looked in to this because I think it’s important you see who you’re playing with but you play it by ear, you get to know players by the way they play as people. I’ve been speaking to Craig and all the lads seem great.”
It’s awful worth noting that the former Yeovil man has played for both Paul Cook and John Coleman for spells throughout his career. It seems, the link between Rovers and the Liverpool area, is one that is here to stay.
The pressure that comes with being a Liverpool academy graduate is something that Morgan relishes.
He has no problem dealing with pressure. He feels that he is more than capable of handling it.
“In football at any level there’s going to be pressure. I’ve been in this situation before and I feel experienced with this. You’ve got to take it in your stride. You’ve got to put all of that to one side and focus on your job.
“You’ve got to listen to the manager, listen to the staff, listen to your team-mates and just play your football. I believe I’ve got the ability to do what I do. If there’s pressure, it won’t be getting to me at all.”
I believe I’ve got the ability to do what I do. If there’s pressure, it won’t be getting to me at all.